Modern Understanding of Epigenetic Inheritance Mechanisms and Their Role in the Evolutionary Process

This review summarizes current advances in the study of epigenetic inheritance and its integration into evolutionary theory. It discusses modern methods for studying epigenetic mechanisms of inheritance, including the use of next-generation high-throughput sequencing to analyze DNA methylation and histone modifications. It describes the contribution of epigenetic variability to evolutionary processes, including transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, which involves the transmission of DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Additionally, the review explores the adaptive significance of epigenetic inheritance mechanisms.