Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive

Understanding organismal responses to environmental change is a central goal of biology with profound implications for the conservation of biodiversity. Widespread evidence of epigenetic modifications in response to environmental stress, including those inherited across generations, has led to considerable speculation about their role in organismal responses to environmental change. Yet, the magnitude and fitness consequences of epigenetic marks carried beyond maternal inheritance are largely unknown. Here, we tested how transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) shapes the phenotypic response of Daphnia clones to the environmental stressor Microcystis. We split individuals from each of eight genotypes into exposure and control treatments (P0 generation) and tracked the fitness of their descendants to the F3 generation. We found transgenerational epigenetic exposure to Microcystis led to reduced survival and growth rates and no consistent effect on offspring production. TEI was asso..., , , # Data from: Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ffbg79d31](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ffbg79d31)

The dataset includes the R code and .csv files necessary to reproduce the statistical analyses and figures found in the manuscript \"Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive\".

## Description of the data and file structure

The .csv files are structured in table format with proper headings. The headings describe the specimen, generation times, treatments, and phenotypes measured in the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance study. Any missing values (empty cells) are replaced with an \"N/A\". Complete definitions of each heading is provided below:

| Key | Description |
| :---------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| clone | Identity...,