Parents' social problems affect their children -- even in birds

Parents' social problems affect their children -- even in birds
The phrase “nature versus nurture” was coined in the mid-19th century by the English scientist Francis Galton and symbolizes the debate over the relative importance of inherited factors and the environment (or upbringing) in determining the behaviour of offspring. The issue has been complicated by the discovery of “epigenetic” effects, by which especially mothers can alter the genetic material they pass on to their young.