Allen Dick  wrote:

>With the discovery of epigenetics, we now have a plausible explanation for what has been claimed by proponents of forcing bees onto smaller cell foundation

I am sorry but this is simply not true. Epigenetics covers certain
heritable changes that aren't directly attributable to classic
Mendelian inheritance. However, it does not mean that we now believe
*anything* can be inherited.

Blue eye color is a classic example. You get your eye color from your
parents. No one ever got blue eyes from their environment. Of course,
that won't prevent the gullible from thinking that epigenetics
"proves" their pet theory.

Epigenetics more correctly refers to changes taking place at the
molecular level that alter the way genes are expressed. It offers no
support whatever for the notion that the development time of the bee
can be shortened by forcing them into smaller cells. It especially
does not suggest that even if this were possible, that it would follow
that such a change would be heritable.

This is an example of fuzzy thinking at its best:
1) varroa find it harder to reproduce in bees with an incubation of
say 19 days as opposed to the normal 21 days
2) these bees have smaller cells than the bees with a 21 or 28
(drones) day cycle
3) by raising bees in smaller cells, the development will be shortened
and varroa will be curtailed.

In cases where the actual development time is 19 days, there is a much
better explanation: they're either Apis cerana or they're African
bees.

* * *

> Epigenetics covers a broad range of effects. For RNA-mediated silencing and DNA methylation there is evidence that they have evolved as part of a host defense mechanism against viruses and parasitic DNA. Intriguingly, it has been suggested that other epigenetic phenomena, including genomic imprinting in placental mammals and X-chromosome dosage compensation, may themselves have evolved from such host defense mechanisms directed against parasitic DNA.

"The Evolution of Epigenetics" by Guy Riddihough and Elizabeth Pennisi
Science 10 August 2001: Vol. 293. no. 5532, p. 1063

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