Heritability, Lineage and the Biological Consequences of Maladaptation: A Developmental and Evolutionary Proposition

This preprint presents Patricia Winter's theoretical proposition concerning heritability, lineage and the biological consequences of persistent maladaptation. It proposes that maladaptive behaviour, interacting with circumstances that shape and sustain it across generations, may generate biological consequences that undergo successive modification through reproductive transitions. The stronger hypothesis concerns possible corresponding genetic or genomic change and later anomalous phenotypic expression. The manuscript distinguishes these proposed processes from established inheritance mechanisms, sets out testable predictions and limitations, and acknowledges extensive AI assistance. The proposition remains hypothetical and requires empirical testing. This is Version 1.0, dated 1 October 2026, and has not undergone peer review.