Melbourne: New research involving Monash University biologists has debunked the
view that males just pass on genetic material and not much else to their
offspring. Instead, it found a father’s diet can affect their son’s
ability to out-compete a rival's sperm after mating. The study
sought to understand if the nutritional history of fathers had an effect
on their sons. Experiments were carried out in the fruit fly, which
shares many similar pathways and characteristics with human genes. One
of the lead authors of the study, Dr Susanne Zajitschek from the School
of Biological Sciences, said the study highlighted the importance of
the paternal environment on future generations, even a long time before
offspring were produced.
