Are transgenerational epigenetic mechanisms important for evolution? The evidence is growing that at least they are taxonomically widespread and provide a significant source of phenotypic variation (Jablonka & Raz, 2009). Epigenetic effects can be a cause of evolutionary novelty (Badyaev, 2008; Moczek, 2008; Badyaev & Uller, 2009), they may significantly affect the response to selection (Kirkpatrick & Lande, 1989; Cheverud & Moore, 1994), and could be an adaptation to fluctuating environments (Lachmann & Jablonka, 1996; Rando & Verstrepen, 2007; Uller, 2008). But the evolutionary significance of these mechanisms is still incompletely understood. Does their importance lie in generating novel phenotypes, in...