"In the past decade or so, the study of epigenetics has become so popular it’s practically a fad."
Well, that's the one statement in the article I can readily accept as true for purposes of discussion here. Much more debatable is the assertion further down, "Twentieth-century Darwinian genetics dismissed Lamarckism as laughable, but because of epigenetics, Lamarckism is staging a comeback," which includes a link to a low-quality source. Much better sources on epigenetics for our discussion here are
"Epigenetics again: will it cause a revolution in evolution?"
The scientifically careful study of gene regulation is NOT going to revive Lamarckian ideas, not at all. But speculation about this is probably in the popular literature again for years to come.
Well, that's the one statement in the article I can readily accept as true for purposes of discussion here. Much more debatable is the assertion further down, "Twentieth-century Darwinian genetics dismissed Lamarckism as laughable, but because of epigenetics, Lamarckism is staging a comeback," which includes a link to a low-quality source. Much better sources on epigenetics for our discussion here are
"Epigenetics again: will it cause a revolution in evolution?"
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/epigeneti...
which is a follow-up to
"Is 'epigenetics' a revolution in evolution?"
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/is-epigen...
or
"The Epigenetics Miracle?"
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/08/21/the-epigenetic...
The scientifically careful study of gene regulation is NOT going to revive Lamarckian ideas, not at all. But speculation about this is probably in the popular literature again for years to come.