Figure 5.

Recent research 26 suggests that epigenetic change often precedes and may even trigger or increase the likelihood for mutations resulting in altered DNA sequence. Thus epigenetic variation is the mechanism by which organisms can adapt to rapid environmental perturbations, such as pollution, but these modifications on the surface of DNA or histones may in turn increase the probability that a genomic region might mutate, facilitating adaptation over the long term. This suggests that the Lamarckian basis for inheritance facilitates rapid evolution while providing the stimulus for mutations that enable long‐term Darwinian adaptation. Images sourced from Wikimedia.