In the 19th century, a theory was born that claimed that the hereditary characteristics of female children are affected by the mother's first sexual partner. This view is not based on experimental data, but nevertheless causes controversy and interest so far. So, is telegony false or true? We'll figure it out.
The emergence of the term "telegony". Research history
The components are two words - "far" and "beget". There is also a myth giving rise to telegony. According to him, the son of Odysseus and the nymph Circe, Telegonus, was killed by chance, as well as his father's ignorance of his existence.
The theory of telegony goes back to the assumptions of Aristotle. He believed that the inheritance of traits by an individual comes not only from real parents, but also from all males from which the female had previous pregnancies. At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, belief in theory was especially common among breeders who worked with various types of domestic animals. One of the most famous examples that allegedly confirms the basis of the idea is the case ofLord Morton's mare, which was described by Ch. Darwin. The horse was 1/8 English and 7/8 Arabian. There was a case of her mating with a quagga, after which the mare was covered only by a stallion of her breed. After that, foals were born, which, in terms of the stiffness of the coat, color, dark spots and stripes, were similar to the quagga, as if they had 1/16 of his blood. This case was regarded as an example of telegony, but some scientists, including Charles Darwin, considered the similarity of external signs to be an archaic manifestation. In favor of the latter was the fact that foals can have stripes, even if their mother did not have mating with quaggs or zebras.
Further experiments
Breeder K. Ewart conducted experiments with eight purebred mares and a male zebra. As a result, thirteen hybrids were obtained. After that, the mares were covered with stallions of their breed. 18 cubs were born, and none showed signs of zebroids. Researcher I. I. Ivanov conducted similar experiments, but never received facts confirming telegony.
In 2014, a study was published that confirmed the existence of the phenomenon. The article was posted in Ecology Letters and talked about the experiment. It consisted of the following: males were divided into two groups, one of which ate food rich in nutrients, and the second received food that did not contain enough vitamins. Males of different sizes were mated with young females. With the advent of the first maturity partners changed. The result was offspring, the size of which was determined by the diet of the first partner. But this experiment does not fully confirm the effect of telegony, since other options for obtaining such results are also possible. For example, the imbibition of the molecules of the first male's seed by the immature eggs of the female.
Telegony: what is this term for society
The idea of the theory is supported by some dog breeders and horse breeders. They do not allow females to be crossed with non-purebred animals, as they believe that unwanted genes will be present in all subsequent offspring.
Followers of religious and conservative ideologies use the telegonia effect to keep their adherents chaste. This idea caused a surge of anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. Esotericism also supported the theory. Her argument was the interaction of auras and biofields of partners during sexual intercourse, which was preserved in each of them throughout their lives.
Reasoning on the topic
Telegony - true or false? In the 19th century, genetics as a science did not exist, so there were many different theories of inheritance. For example, the philosopher and biologist Le Dantec explained the transfer of characters by the fact that they belong to a species acquired, but morphologically hidden category. These inherited traits may show up in subsequent pregnancies of the mother, he thought. But Le Dantec could not provide confirmation of his theory. The opponent of the philosopher Delage noted that the influence of the signs of the first partner is manifested only in exceptional cases. Due to the lack of evidence, he questioned the very fact of telegonia.
G. Mendel's experiments laid the foundation for the laws of heredity. At first, his work was not appreciated. In 1900, scientists conducted experiments confirming Mendel's hypotheses. With the development of genetics, telegony began to lose its relevance.
Telegony: evidence
Supporters of this theory consider the appearance of signs that are absent in the parents, but were in the previous partner of the female, an argument in her favor. The term has a number of other, similar in meaning names - "Laws of Rita" and "effect of the first male." The belief that the features of the first male would be reflected in the descendants of subsequent males was maintained in ancient times. For example, the Turkic tribes, raiding the lands of the Slavs, sought to “spoil” as many girls as possible so that the image of the Basurman would be forever preserved in them. It was believed that women would subsequently give birth to Turks, but from men of their own nationality. The “right of the first night” granted to overlords in the Middle Ages can also be considered a confirmation of belief in telegony.
Rita's Laws
Telegony - what is it for the Slavs? The ancient family strictly observed a set of rules that were aimed at preserving the family and maintaining the purity of blood. For example, an excerpt from one of the parts of the “Laws of Rita” reads: “… for the first man leaves the Images of the Spirit and Blood with his daughter …” This rule says that “foreigners” should not be allowed to their children, since it was believed that men of their kind will not bring danger to the girls. According to the Vedas, a woman who has lost her innocence with a foreigner will always wearAlien Blood in oneself, which means the loss of connection with one's own kind. As a result, children are born who are very different from their parents in behavior, thinking and development. Supporters of telegony believe that it was the observance of the "Laws of Rita" by the Slavic people that made them invincible and rebellious.
Proponents of telegony in science
One of the arguments of scientists is the fact that the set of eggs is the only one and does not change throughout life. Unlike male germ cells, which are capable of renewal several times a year. Also, the female reproductive system is more sensitive to negative effects and is subject to various mutations. Thus, the girl initially carries in herself the rudiments of future offspring, which are affected by both the consumed alcoholic beverages, past illnesses, and other negative factors, as well as sexual partners. P. P. Garyaev tried to confirm the impact of the latter circumstance. The doctor of biological sciences conducted experiments on the study of DNA using the method of laser spectroscopy. After repeated repetition of the experiment, he became convinced that the scattering spectrum of the heredity molecule (its "phantom", non-material trace) is preserved even after its removal from the device. P. P. Garyaev, on the basis of the experiments, formulated the hypothesis that the first man leaves a “wave signature” of his DNA on the woman’s genetic code, which cannot but affect future children. The scientist's experiments were criticized in the scientific world, but this did not stop him from finding many supporters.
Research scientists
Telegony- what is it anyway? There are suggestions that some type of small RNA blocks the manifestation of maternal traits, but ensures the development of paternal ones. Telegony supporters also consider this fact one of the proofs of their theory. Another mechanism of work was discovered by the scientist A. G. Blaznyuchenko. It is based on the penetration of parts of DNA into the egg. These fragments were formed after the disintegration of spermatozoa. Researcher A. Mingraim has a different opinion about the ways in which telegony appeared. His assumption is based on the structural features of hyaluronic acid, which is present in male germ cells. The molecule is able to capture DNA chains, dissolve their shell and introduce foreign genes.
From 1973 to 1975, studies were conducted to study how foreign DNA penetrates germ cells. For example, labeled thymidine was injected into the male germ cells of a guinea pig. From the testicles, DNA was obtained, which was introduced into the ovaries of rabbits. By autoradiography, data were obtained that the labeled heredity molecule penetrates into the nuclei of ovary and egg cells (mature and immature), as well as into the epithelium of the embryo.
Physiological preservation
The fact that it is possible to preserve, “preserve” the sperm of a partner in the female genital tract is confirmed by all zoologists and livestock breeders. This phenomenon has been noted in vertebrates, the differences are only in the duration of storage. For example, in mammals, spermatozoa remain functional for up to several months. Concerningfertilization of the female with stored sperm during subsequent sexual intercourse with another partner cannot be ruled out.
Who denies the "first male effect"
Telegony causes a lot of controversy among people. Proponents of the theory believe that it is mostly refuted by those who do not want to infringe on physical pleasure. Married men deny telegonia because they are afraid that their child may bear the signs of his wife's former lovers. The law of telegony is also not taken for granted by many women. Adherents of the theory explain this by the fact that few people were celibate before the wedding, as well as a lack of interest in the mental and physical he alth of their partners.
More about the symptoms that appear
Where can "foreign" traits appear in the offspring? Is this how telegonia manifests itself? Is it true or fiction are all these provisions of the theory? The fact of manifestation of such signs is explained as follows.
- Atavism. This is a case of the unpredictable appearance of a trait inherited from wild ancestors. For example, multiple nipples, excessive hairiness, the presence of a tail, wisdom teeth, and so on. The phenomenon manifests itself as the result of a genetic reversion, that is, an unpredictable secondary mutation that restores the genome changed by the primary one.
- Phenotypic reversion. The phenomenon occurs when different genes interact. For example, the manifestation of resistance to antibiotics, a greater need for amino acids or vitamins, changes in temperature sensitivity, and so on.
- The manifestation of recessive traits inthe result of splitting with certain combinations of parental genotypes. Basically, the phenomenon occurs in parents with strong heterozygous lines.
Based on the scientific data that was obtained experimentally and repeatedly confirmed, we can say that the science of telegony has no basis.
Scientific explanations of the phenomenon
What do scientists say about this? When asked about telegony - what is it, genetic scientists answer that this is a manifestation of certain signs in the offspring that the parents did not have, but distant ancestors had. Thus, recessive traits appear, as well as atavisms, spontaneous secondary mutations that restore the genome changed by the primary ones. The process of fertilization is accompanied by the birth of a zygote with a double set of chromosomes, which is inherited by each cell. Half of the genetic material is inherited from the egg maker, the other half from the sperm. In the case of penetration into the female germ cell of several sperm (the phenomenon of polyspermy), the nucleus of the egg is combined with only one sperm. Numerous experiments have shown that a genetically black animal embryo that develops inside a white mother always grows into a black individual, even if it was transported into the body of a non-native female. Thus, the law of telegony has no support in the fields of genetics and reproduction. How many sciences - so many hypotheses.
Summing up
Telegony- truth or lie? The issue is still controversial. In the scientific world, evidence of the existence of the theory has not been found. Any unexpected manifestations of signs are easily explained from the standpoint of genetics or biology. But the obligatory preservation of chastity among our ancestors, the ban on sexual intercourse with "strangers" are regarded by supporters as an inalienable fact of telegony. Is it so? Maybe in the old days, modesty was valued more than now, or maybe the theory is an example of removing responsibility from the father for a naughty child …
