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A female parasitic wasp (Leptopilina heterotoma) inserts her ovipositor into a Drosophila larva. She will lay an egg in its body cavity. Researchers at North Carolina State University and Reed College found when fruit flies are attacked by parasites or bacteria, they respond by producing offspring with greater genetic variability.
This extra genetic variability may give the offspring an increased chance of survival when faced with the same pathogens. These findings demonstrate that parents may purposefully alter the genotypes of their offspring.Image credit: Michael Martin, Reed College
