History Main / LamarckWasRight

* In Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''The Frankenstein Papers'', the greedy plantation-owner funding Frankenstein's research expects the trope to hold. He expects his creations will breed a new race of super-strong laborers to work as slaves on their Caribbean properties. No such luck.

* One of the sources for many bloodlines for the Sorcerer character class in ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', aside from [[HalfHumanHybrid the old-fashioned way]]. This is the explanation for the Arcane (standard) and [[MagicMusic Maestro]] bloodlines, among others. Also makes the ''Undead'' bloodline a lot less {{Squick}}y.

* In the story ''Literature/{{Bisclavret}}'' from the Lais of Marie de France, a werewolf bites off a woman's nose and all of her descendants are born without noses because of that.

* ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'':
** This is actually Gold's special ability. He can pass his will to an unhatched Pokémon. His Togepi turned out to be a avid gambler with a violent temper because its owner carried its egg around arcades and dreamed about it beating the crap out of Silver. His Pichu also turned out to be super-powerful and brave because he wanted to protect it and prove himself worthy of being a Dex Holder.
** Ruby inherited his Gym Leader father's Pokemon battling skills (though they both say that Norman spent years drilling and training his son to hone his raw potential)
* In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'', it's been shown that Pokémon can see and hear through their eggs.

* It's never outright stated, but ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' implies that Goten and Trunks can reach Super Saiyan at a young age because their fathers had achieved the level before the boys' birth; compare to Gohan, born before Goku ever became a Super Saiyan, and had to earn it the same way his father and Vegeta did. This was apparently a major source of fan contention, since some viewers took a cue from Vegeta and complained it took away from the mythos of how becoming Super Saiyan was supposed to be incredibly difficult. Also, it is noted that we don't know when Trunks was conceived, as it could have been before Vegeta transformed.
** One thing to note is the mechanism behind the Saiyan ability to get stronger after recovering from injury (referred to as zenkai) is never explained by anyone with any sort of scientific background, only warriors that care more about the "what" and not the "how". It's possible the changes brought on by the zenkai power up are on the DNA level as well. This would neatly explain why "low class" Saiyans like Raditz are weaker by default than "Noble" Saiyans like Vegeta and Nappa.
** An alternate fan theory is that [[AchievementsInIgnorance they achieved it so quickly because nobody ever told them it was supposed to be hard]].
** Another fan theory is because Goten and Trunks are hybrids; becoming a Super Saiyan requires a dedicated amount of training while also becoming in touch with their emotions, a state of TranquilFury. Pure saiyans have a difficulty with this, due to being a race of [[BloodKnight Blood Knights]], but the humanity Goten, Trunks and Gohan have means it is easier for them to achieve because of their emotional connection.
** ''GT'' takes this to the extreme in the final episode by showing distant descendants of Goku and Vegeta ({{identical grandson}}s, actually) can achieve Super Saiyan without even realizing the significance of it.
** Goku implied at one point that the generations after his and Vegeta's are stronger because the enemies they've had to face were much more powerful; Gohan was strong enough to fight Cell at eleven, while Goku at that age was still frolicking in the forest.
** Nevertheless, fans still raise a stink about it and the fact that Gohan's daughter Pan cannot become a super saiyan (out of the commonly held/disputed belief that girls can't transform into the state) while Goku Jr. (Pan's ''grandson'') can, only further complicating the matter.
*** This is true in the ''GT'' canon; however, in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', she not only transforms, but does it ''while still in the womb'', which given her father's achievements, is a direct application of this trope.
** Creator/AkiraToriyama's official statement on [[DoingInTheWizard the science behind Super Saiyan]] bears the original theory out. Since Goten and Trunks were conceived after Goku and Vegeta became Super Saiyans, they inherited their fathers' heightened "S-cell" counts, while Gohan had to earn his the hard way (though it helps that he meets most of the requirements to develop S-cells on his own, just like Goku did).

* In ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', [[MadScientist Huey Laforet]], immortal thanks to the Elixir of Life, sires [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter Chane]] for the [[GuineaPigFamily purpose of testing this trope]]. Turns out that Lamarck ''Wasn't'' Right.
** Played straight. [[spoiler:Claire's solipsism- his belief that the world is his dream and therefore he is the only real person-]] is somehow passed onto all of his and [[spoiler:Chane]]'s descendants, with their [[spoiler:granddaughter, Claudia, exhibiting this the most]].
* In ''Manhwa/ShamanWarrior'', [[spoiler: the titular shaman warriors are created by an occult SuperSerum naturally their abilities are passed on to their children.]]
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' toys with this one, as Negi aspires to be just like his father Nagi, the most powerful mage ever. Negi himself turns out to be a prodigy, but his strength comes from [[AwesomenessByAnalysis his intelligence]] and [[TrainingFromHell constant training]], whereas his father was a [[IdiotHero complete idiot]] but [[WorldsStrongestMan so naturally powerful that]] [[InvincibleHero he was practically invincible]] anyway.
** Lately though its looking like Negi takes after his mother a lot more than he does his father: [[spoiler:although he isn't {{Tsundere}} (yet), but they both stress out, overthink things and wants to do everything themselves and not involve others.]]
** ...and then there is [[spoiler:Chao]] who might be playing with this trope (how directly though hasn't been seen yet).
** ''Manga/UQHolder'' has Negi's grandson Touta awakening Magia Erebea out of nowhere, even though Negi almost died learning it from Evangeline. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed that Touta is actually a hybrid clone of Negi and Asuna.]]
* ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'':
** This is actually Gold's special ability. He can pass his will to an unhatched Pokémon. His Togepi turned out to be a avid gambler with a violent temper because its owner carried its egg around arcades and dreamed about it beating the crap out of Silver. His Pichu also turned out to be super-powerful and brave because he wanted to protect it and prove himself worthy of being a Dex Holder.
** Ruby inherited his Gym Leader father's Pokemon battling skills (though they both say that Norman spent years drilling and training his son to hone his raw potential)
* In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'', it's been shown that Pokémon can see and hear through their eggs.
* A manga only story arc of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' introduces the Musk Dynasty, who use magic to bring about this precise effect. Generations ago, the Musk's ancestors wanted to become the greatest masters of the various "Animal Styles" of Kung Fu. So they settled in a valley near [[TransformationRay Jusenkyô]], captured animals, cursing them in the Spring of Drowned Girl, locking them in that form, and having kids with them to pass the animal traits on to the children. It seems to have worked; Herb, a dragon-blooded, is an incredibly powerful ki user, the tiger-blooded Lime is a MightyGlacier and wolf-blooded Mint is a FragileSpeedster.
** The final manga arc takes this even further. There is another Jusenkyô, but it's so high up in the mountains that only birds could fly high enough to drown in it. The magic of these springs would, normally, change anyone who fell in into the birds that drowned there, like the ground-level Jusenkyô does, but the mountain one was used as a regular source of water by a nearby tribe. Having used magical water for everything --cooking, laundry, presumably bathing-- transformed the people over several generations, so now all members of the tribe are born with [[WingedHumanoid giant, flight-capable wings]], talons, and avian instincts, and pass these traits on to their children. (It's also implied they're oviparous.)
* In ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'', it's frequently implied that ninja powers have been developed through selective breeding and are transmitted within a family line. For example, Shogen's little brother is almost identical to him even in abilities, while at one point Danjo mentions that Gennosuke inherited his MagicalEyes from his mother's family line.
* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Joseph was born with the ability to instinctively use the Hamon that his grandfather Jonathan had mastered, but without finesse or battle reliability of his ancestor. While Joseph's father George inherited no aptitude for the Hamon from Jonathan, [[spoiler:Joseph's mother was trained in its use.]]
** The potential to develop a Stand is genetic. Also, if someone already has a Stand when they have kids, their children will have a much easier time developing a Stand than normal. Developing a Stand without at least one parent who already has one is shown to be very difficult, with most examples shown in the series having some sort of supernatural catalyst such as the Arrow. Taken to its logical extreme in Part 8, where every single member of the Higashikata family has a Stand.
* ''Characters/LupinIII'': The Lupin dynasty. [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène the First]] is the archetypical GentlemanThief with all that that implies. Flashbacks show that his son, Lupin II, was awesome as well. Lupin III, himself, is a CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass {{Kaitou}}. It continues in his illegitimate son ([[Manga/LupinIII manga-Lupin]] only), who is incredibly cunning; he was able to outsmart Fujiko and hold his own against a sword ''while armed with only a wrench''. Any attempts made by the police to capture these criminals tend to fail, usually embarrassingly.
* ''LightNovel/AriaTheScarletAmmo'': Averted, in the case of two of the characters. Supposedly, both Aria and Riko are deficient versions of their great-grandfathers. Aria is unable to solve cases with the Holmes deductive skills, and Riko is [[spoiler: not as impressive a thief as a Lupin should be.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', it is implied that the titular character's [[FacialMarkings signature whisker marks]] were the result of his in-utero exposure to the chakra of the demon fox sealed within his mother at the time of pregnancy. This trope comes into play, however, when [[spoiler:both of Naruto's own children are shown to have inherited these marks from him. Presumably, that exposure to the fox's chakra caused a genetic mutation in Naruto, which was passed on to his children. Though why the same thing didn't happen to Tsunade and her brother, who ''also'' had a grandmother who was the Nine-Tails' host, is not explained.]]
** Later in the story, we find out that Tsunade personally remembers both her grandfather Hashirama and Madara, even though she was very little when they died and "died" respectively, which means that her grandmother did not become a jinchuuriki until after she was born, so there was no opportunity for either she or her parent to be influenced by it.
** He inherited his mom's VerbalTic "Datteba_" [[spoiler:(which is also pass down to his son as well) despite Naruto never having even ''met'' Kushina (or more specifically, a chakra imprint of her in the Nine-Tails' seal) until he was 17 years old]].
* Subverted in ''Manga/RaveMaster''. Near the end of the journey, Musica learns that Haru needs a new final form of the Ten Powers sword forged, but with the elder blacksmith Musica out of commission, he decides to see if this trope is in play and forge one himself. Unfortunately, SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he ends up wasting a lot of needed material trying to learn how to blacksmith under a time crunch. He does pull it off, but he needs to use [[ExtraOreDinary his own powers]] to do so.
* {{Averted}} in ''Anime/{{Parasyte}}''--when the [[CuriosityCausesConversion Ryoko Tamiya/Reiko Tamura]] asks [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Shinichi]] what he thinks her and [[TheBrute A]]'s baby will be, he admits he doesn't know. [[OrganAutonomy Migi]] correctly surmises that it will be an ordinary human--Parasytes replace their hosts' heads, but otherwise their bodies remain unchanged.

* Alan Scott, the original Franchise/GreenLantern, had a daughter called Jade, who naturally had all the powers of his ring, and occasionally her mother's plant powers as well. He also has a son who has darkness-related powers, which are explained as Alan having been exposed to "Shadowlands energy" during a fight with a demon. This was later {{retcon}}ned to being derived from the part of Alan's mystical power source that consists of dark magic. Oh, and they have a SiblingYinYang situation from a combination of this and their mother having an evil split personality, with each one taking after one of her personalities.

* A mainstay of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, where everything from Franchise/SpiderMan's radioactive spider bite to the ComicBook/FantasticFour's cosmic ray exposure can be inherited. Generally, it's revealed that the various doses of radiation ''did'' change their DNA, so the offspring of FreakLabAccident Silver Agers can officially be called Mutants.
** The official Marvel parlance is Mutants for those who inherit the power-granting X-gene, and ''mutates'' for those like Spider-Man who've been mutated by some external factor. How the public magically tells the difference is another question altogether -- and not an unimportant one, as (with exceptions) Mutants are hated and feared while heroic mutates are celebrated. A Question that has only been answered in the last 3 years.

* DoubleSubversion with Wildcat II, the son of Wildcat. Wildcat is a [[BadassNormal superb fighter with no other powers]]. His son isn't so great at it. On the other hand, after the father spent a lifetime of dressing up in a cat suit, the son can turn into a [[CatGirl Catboy]]. As it turns out, his powers really are inherited - his ''mother'' was a werepanther, so it's just an amusing coincidence that his power connected with his old man's gimmick.
* Scarlet and Sheena Hellpop inherited their father's fusionkasting powers, even though his abilities were given him by the Merk, and were also periodically taken away.
* The ''ComicBook/{{Zenith}}'' series in ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' relied on this. The main strand of superhumans in the story were able to pass on their superpowers to their offspring. Their powers originated in a wartime experiment where pregnant women were injected with ergot alkaloids. The resulting children's superpowers were mentally derived, you see, and kicked in when the children hit puberty.
* The DC Universe character Doomsday was created deliberately through a brutal process of Lamarckian evolution, which entailed being stranded on the DeathWorld of ancient [[ComicBook/SuperMan Krypton]], as shown in ''ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey''. When the baby Doomsday was inevitably killed, DNA from the corpse was harvested and used to engineer a clone. This was repeated over and over, until GeneticMemory made Doomsday increasingly powerful, resulting in the UltimateLifeform... which has been [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds traumatized into being a fear-inspired]] OmnicidalManiac, causing it to [[GoneHorriblyRight destroy first its creator, then countless other civilizations afterwards]].
* The children of characters in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse having similar powers are usually explained as "mutants" of some kind due to their progenitors' exposure to the weird. For example, ComicBook/SpiderGirl is the daughter of Spider-Man, even though his powers came from an outside source when he was in his teens. So too is Franklin Richards; both his parents were altered by cosmic rays and became empowered. However, taking the cake is probably Rachel Summers, daughter of Jean Grey, who was a mutant of impressive power and a wielder of the Phoenix Force. While it now makes sense, sort of, when she was first introduced, the Phoenix Force was a power that came to beings and could even leave them, as opposed to being a permanent change. Somehow, Rachel inherited that. Being the White Phoenix kind of was Jean Grey's mutation for a while, but not quite, so it almost makes sense, but somehow falls short. Apparently the Phoenix (which is a sentient entity in its own right) just likes fusing with members of the Grey-Summers lines.

*** That said, there may be something to it where Rachel's concerned - even for a Grey-Summers, her heritage is a little unusual. She was born in [[ComicBook/DaysOfFuturePast an alternate timeline]] (now defunct... mostly). There, Jean never died after the ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga. When Rachel was created in the mid 80s, this meant nothing special. However, this was before a series of retcons that confused the issue of whether or not 'Phoenix' was Jean hosting the Phoenix/'Phoenix' as Jean's natural full power (the original idea), or the Phoenix Force incarnated as a copy of Jean (the later idea). By the latter measure, Rachel would technically be the child of the Phoenix itself - though this tends to be quietly ignored, along with her creator, Creator/ChrisClaremont, saying that the Phoenix impregnated Jean with Rachel.
** In Spider-Man's case, the bite changed him on a genetic level, so it ''would'' make sense for any children of his to inherit his powers. And to be fair, Spider-Girl's powers aren't an exact copy of Peter's; there's a major difference in how their wall-crawling powers work.
** For some reason, Franklin and Persuasion are considered mutants, but Spider-Girl isn't (once, to a Sentinel, she read as anomalous but not an ''X-Men''-style Mutant.)

* Marvel character Scorpion (Carmilla Black) was designed based on the original plan that she was the daughter of Viper (Madame Hydra). To show she was Viper's daughter they gave her naturally green hair. As Viper's hair is dyed, instead, they ended up with Monica Rappaccini (AIM's Scientist Supreme) as her mother, who DependingOnTheArtist ''also'' has green hair. It's later revealed that her father might be [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]], who apparently fathered her ''immediately'' after the incident that created the Hulk, but she lacks any kind of Hulk traits beyond being low-key radioactive. However, this is ''not'' because of his DNA, but rather that Monica altered her DNA in the womb as part of an experiment to make her the perfect sleeper agent, and all her powers come from that.
* Speaking of Dr. Banner, he's had three children post-Hulk. His daughter Lyra has green skin and some super-strength, but averts the trope because she was created via genetic engineering. His son Skaar is able to become a Hulk himself, while his twin Hiro-Kala appears to have inherited nothing of the Hulk (implying they're likely fraternal twins).
* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica received his powers (physical attributes at the absolute peak of human perfection) from a shot of the SuperSoldier Serum; after that the serum was tested on black soldiers, and of the initial test subjects, only Isiah Bradley survived, gaining the peak physicality. Bradley's son, Josiah, inherited the Super Soldier Serum effects from his father. He uses the name Josiah X in his hero career. Bradley's grandson, [[ComicBook/YoungAvengers Elijah Bradley]], gets seriously injured when the Skrulls attack New York, and after a blood transfusion from his grandfather, gained the traits of Captain America. This is somewhat better than the standard explanation.
** In ComicBook/TheUltimates, Cap's son inherits superpowers. The son, however, appears to be better with them than Cap ever was, mostly because of training from a young age.

* While not really offspring, ComicBook/TheJoker "Jokerizes" scores of supervillains in [[ComicBook/JokersLastLaugh The Last Laugh]] storyline. He does this via an EvilPlan that infuses everyone with his DNA, turning their skin white, hair green and giving them Joker's sense of humor and making them loyal to him. How this works when the Joker's skin and hair color is not due to any sort of genetics but his skin and hair being permanently bleached from (in the usual backstories) falling into a vat of chemicals is not explained.
** For that matter, how does being "loyal to him" qualify as one of the traits in Joker's DNA? He's chaos embodied, the polar opposite of loyalty.
** Similarly, a Franchise/{{Batman}} vs Franchise/{{Alien}}s comic featured a mad scientist infusing xenomorphs with the DNA of Batman's villains. Not only did one of them develop white skin and red lips, another developed scarring on the left side of its head (as per Two-Face, caused by acid burns and thus even less plausible; Joker's traits could at least be handwaved as saying the unspecified chemicals mutated him) and a third somehow acquired the colouring of Scarecrow's costume.
** The "Mad Love" comic played with this trope when Harley Quinn had a number of {{Imagine Spot}}s about she and the Joker getting married and raising a family. Their two kids (a girl and a boy) have permanently whitened faces, though it is unclear if they were born this way or if their parents made them up to look like themselves (the latter of which is arguably just as creepy). One image showing Harley giving birth to the children implies that they are bleached coming out of the womb - but Harley herself, who has been stripped down to her bra, ''also'' has white skin by this point, suggesting that the Joker wants his entire family Jokerized and painted the babies as soon as they emerged from Harley's womb (though in the picture he's more concerned with [[TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether murdering the doctors and nurses by handing out exploding cigars to celebrate]]).
* ComicBook/AvengersAcademy character Finesse has the same powers as ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}}, who gained them by special serum, and it's implied she might be his daughter. When the two of them meet, she directly asks him about it, only for it to turn out that a drawback of his powers is loss of his non-combat related memories, so he has no damn idea.

* Marvel has a character called Darwin whose mutant superpower is to [[InvincibleHero evolve whatever power or body change he needs to survive]] in a given situation. Some fans have commented that he should be called Lamarck, not Darwin.

* In ''ComicBook/{{PS238}},'' the CaptainErsatz version of ComicBook/GreenLantern, Emerald Gauntlet, has an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin emerald gauntlet]] that inexplicably appeared on his arm during an experimental flight. He apparently never took it off, and it became part of his DNA, with his own son, Kevin, having one from birth. (The Gauntlets ''can'' be removed and put back on, but with about the same effect as tearing off a limb and reattaching it.)
* Cassandra Cain, [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 the second Batgirl]], is the daughter of ComicBook/LadyShiva (the world's deadliest martial artist) and David Cain (one of the world's greatest assassins). Accordingly, Cassandra is an unbelievable martial arts prodigy even by comic book standards. ''Some'' of this can be attributed to the TrainingFromHell Cain put her through, but prior to TheReveal about Shiva, he notes that he put other kids through the same regimen and it didn't take. She was the only success. "[[{{Foreshadowing}} Not surprising, really...]]"
* In the second ''Batman'' / ''Film/{{Alien}}'' crossover, a MadScientist creates hybrids between the xenomorphs and Batman's RoguesGallery. The hybrids somehow contrive to still look like their human counterparts despite it making no sense whatsoever, like the Two-Face one having half its skull damaged, the Joker one's skin looking like clown makeup, and the Scarecrow's face looking like his mask. The only one who doesn't look human at all is the Killer Croc hybrid ([[spoiler:and this turns out to be the scientist's downfall, because where the other hybrids had some of her (and her dormant queen chestburster's) DNA and thus didn't attack her, the Croc hybrid didn't and ate her on sight]]).
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' averts this. Joe and Rico Dredd were clone from the original Chief Judge, Eustace Fargo, to be the ultimate law enforcers. While they succeeded with Joe Dredd himself, Rico ends up as a LawmanGoneBad, running his own criminal operations before Joe sends him to Titan. Dredd himself has been cloned and, aside from the second Rico, none of them have really worked out; Kraken ended up being manipulated into causing the Necropolis by the Dark Judges, Nimrod suffered from serious neurodegenerative issues caused by genetic modification and had to be put down, Dolman just upped and quit despite showing promise, and [[OppositeSexClone Paris]] ended up pregnant.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Fanfic/CandyForYourThoughts,'' where the alien clone of [[ExtravertedNerd Cody]] has an [[AscendedExtra increased role]]. Apparently Cody's DNA makes him a instant pervert, with a particular attraction to [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]], since she's Cody's LoveInterest for this story. He even finds himself obsessed with bras, despite not knowing what they are. Also, he instinctively hates [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Duncan]] and [[StalkerWithACrush Sierra]].
* ''Fanfic/BesidesTheWillOfEvil'': The ability to use magic works this way. All species start out with a limited ability to use magic, but as individuals practice and learn to cast more powerful spells, their growing talent impresses itself in their genes and passes on to their children. So, a powerful sorcerer would birth children with great magical potential, and if those children spent their lives practicing magic their children would be more powerful still. The longer a species has practiced magic, the more powerful its average magic users are.

* In ''Film/AHistoryOfViolence'', Viggo Mortensen's character Tom Stall has the titular violent history along with wicked underhanded fighting skills. After his abilities are outed, his previously passive and somewhat defensively-snarky son (who had up to this point been in a healthy and loving environment, in which Tom preached self-control) went off like a claymore mine on a bully, beating him down with surprising savagery. However, it is mostly the surprise that won him the fight; the temper may have been his father's (such things may be inherited), and he showed no real technique, so this is a borderline example.

* Lampshaded in ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', with a lecture on superhero genetics given by the school nurse.
* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', [[spoiler: soon after it is revealed that Indy is Mutt's biological father]], Mutt suddenly displays miraculous rope-swinging powers [[spoiler:which surpasses anything we've ever seen the old man do]].
** He ''does'' swing every bit as well as the monkeys in the jungle around him...
* In ''Film/TheLegendOfZorro'', Don Alejandro de la Vega's son, Joaquin, seems to have inherited his father's taste for social justice and swordfighting skills despite the fact that he has no idea his father is actually Zorro.
* Somewhat related instance in ''Film/AlienResurrection'', where centuries after the third movie, scientists clone Ripley, complete with the parasite infecting her when she died. However, the [[GoneHorriblyWrong failed clones]] make it evident that the Xenomorphs invade their hosts at a genetic level which was already [[LegoGenetics implied in the last movie]]. Bonus points for the Xenomorphs' "[[HandWave genetic memory]]" which allows Ripley to remember her past life, though she does have [[CameBackWrong other problems]]. Considering that the [[Creator/JossWhedon screenwriter]] was [[ExecutiveMeddling instructed]] to include Ripley's character in the film, this all comes off as remarkably plausible for a science-fiction action movie.

* ''Film/{{Mermaids}}'': Kate's father was a champion swimmer. She herself has keen skill in swimming, so much that her teacher sees her as Olympic material, just like her father apparently was.
* The premise of ''Film/SonOfTheMask'' is that the protagonist's kid inherits all the powers of the mask on a permanent basis because his father was wearing it when he was conceived. Apparently genetic material operates under different rules than clothing, where in the first movie it was a plot point that Stanley's clothing reverted to normal when a piece was torn off.

* In the novel ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', the man-ape Moon-Watcher being made intelligent by the monolith is described thus: "The very atoms of his simple brain were being twisted into new patterns. If he survived, those patterns would become eternal, for his genes would pass them on to future generations." If the monolith wanted the patterns passed on, it should have been doing the twisting a bit lower down...
* Creator/RudyardKipling evidently believed in Lamarckian evolution, but he makes it ambiruous enough. In "Kaa's Hunting" Mowgli is able to show the monkeys his skill at weaving sticks together because he is a woodcutter's son, although it's implied he was old enough when he wandered into the wolves' den that he might have seen people doing it. In "Red Dog" he cuts off the leading dhole's tail and then taunts him by telling him "There will now be many litters of little tailless red dogs, yea, with raw red stumps that sting when the sand is hot." (Since a wolf ends up killing him anyway this theory is never put to the test, and we're never sure if Mowgli is serious or sarcastically taunting him).
** All of the ''Literature/JustSoStories'' are pure Lamarck, justified a bit in that they are meant to be creation myths after all. Well, except how the camel got his '''humph''' but that's another tale.

* In ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'' Frankenstein destroys the "bride" he created for the monster because he fears what might happen if they reproduced. ''Frankenstein'' was written before Darwin's theory was proposed and Lamarck's had been only recently (probably unknown to the author). In short, ScienceMarchesOn.
* In Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''The Frankenstein Papers'', the greedy plantation-owner funding Frankenstein's research expects the trope to hold. He expects his creations will breed a new race of super-strong laborers to work as slaves on their Caribbean properties. No such luck.
* In Creator/AgathaChristie's short story "The Cretan Bull" in her collection ''The Labors of Hercules'', Literature/HerculePoirot solves a mystery by determining that the character Colonel Frobisher was really the father of Hugh Chandler. He did this due to the biological fact that Hugh inherited Frobisher's habit of "drawing down his brows over his eyes and lowering his head, thrusting it forward, while those same shrewd little eyes studied you piercingly." No word which chromosome this habit comes from.
* Runs rampant in the 4th book of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}''. Try not to think about it too hard.
* In the story ''Literature/{{Bisclavret}}'' from the Lais of Marie de France, a werewolf bites off a woman's nose and all of her descendants are born without noses because of that.
* Justified in the SF short story ''The Engineer and the Executioner'', about a genetic experiment in a hollowed-out asteroid (which is actually called Lamarck), as the colony used in the experiment was actually designed to use Lamarckian evolution (which, in the story, turns out to be astonishingly rapid).
* In the sequel to ''Literature/{{Wicked}}'', ''Literature/SonOfAWitch'', [[spoiler: Elphaba's EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette son Liir gets some [[DudeShesLikeInAComa secret]] IntimateHealing from Candle, who becomes pregnant. After Liir's many misadventures she shows up just long enough to dump their ''green-skinned'' daughter on him. Apparently the Wizard's dye seeped into Elphaba's DNA... [[MST3KMantra and Candle's for it to skip generations like that. That, or something on Liir's Y-Chromosome blocked the green trait]].]]
* Oddly abused in Brandon Sanderson's ''[[Literature/AlcatrazSeries Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians]]'' YA novels, where superhuman powers, called "Talents," literally and explicitly come from having the last name "Smedry". Al's mother [[spoiler: acquires the ability to "lose things" by marrying Mr. Smedry, and an escape is engineered at one point by Alcatraz performing a marriage between a Smedry and a good librarian. This passes his ability to [[DanceBattler Dance Badly]]]].
* The novelization of [[Franchise/StarWars ''A New Hope'']] averts this. Ben comments that like his father, Luke is an excellent pilot, then goes on to say that "[p]iloting skill isn't hereditary, but many of the aptitudes that produce a good small-ship pilot are." It's also established that Luke's spent a lot of time practicing high-speed low-altitude high-precision flying. And, y'know, both of them having Force-enhanced reflexes doesn't hurt either (though Force-sensitivity is not necessarily genetic).
* In Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/{{Firestarter}},'' a couple gains PsychicPowers (MindControl and {{Telekinesis}}, respectively) from a [[PsychoSerum drug]] given to them in an experiment. Their daughter is born with telekinesis and [[PlayingWithFire pyrokinesis]] as a result. This is HandWaved when the father speculates that the drug must have affected their DNA. [[WordOfGod King]] mentioned afterwards that he never liked that explanation, preferring stories where supernatural things ''just happen,'' and are never explained.
* Creator/BrandonSanderson:
** ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}},'' "allomancers" - who have the ability to ingest metal and use it to fuel magical abilities, inherit their powers from their ancestors. It tips into Lamarckian territory when it turns out [[spoiler: the original allomancers got their powers from eating a nugget of magic metal, rather than being born with the gift.]] Allomancers existed before then, but they were much more rare.
** WordOfGod explains that most methods of gaining magic in ''Literature/TheCosmere'' rewrite a person's "spiritual DNA," allowing the magic to be passed on. Allomancy is one of the most visible, to the point that it's basically genetic, but there are others. The Idrian royal family in ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' have the "Royal Locks," color-changing hair that is only inherited by those in line for the throne, because they are descended from the First Returned. The lighteyes from ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' are descended from the darkeyes who stole the [[SoulCuttingBlade Shardblades]] of the Knights Radiant. Bonding a Shardblade lightens eye color, and this was passed down. The Knights themselves may have passed down their light eyes as well, but none of their other abilities.
* Gene Stratton-Porter's 1904 novel ''Literature/{{Freckles}}'' is based entirely around this conceit. The hero, raised since infancy in a Chicago orphanage, speaks with an Irish accent because his parents were Irish; speaks, in fact, with an ''upper-class'' Irish accent, because he had "an ancestor who used cultivated English". He is musically gifted, able with no training to sing "with wonderful accent and ease", and this is credited to the assumption that he has "a marvelously trained vocalist" in his "close blood". Even his manners are inherited:
-->"Mr. [=McLean=] says that you never once have failed in tact and courtesy. He says that you are the most perfect gentleman he ever knew, and he has traveled the world over. How does it happen, Freckles? No one at that Home taught you. Hundreds of men couldn't be taught, even in a school of etiquette; so it must be instinctive with you. If it is, why, that means that it is born in you, and a direct inheritance from a race of men that have been gentlemen for ages, and couldn't be anything else."
* ''Literature/LegacyOfTheDragokin'': Benji says something along the lines of 'dragokin powers activate!' frequently because he believes he inherited them from his mother. [[spoiler: Double subverted as they were latent and awakened in the climax. Not only does Benji inherit dragokin powers but the skill to use them. ]]
* Discussed and defied in ''Literature/GoodOmens''. Aziraphale worries that TheAntichrist will grow up evil no matter what, but Crowley disagrees.
-->"Look at Satan. Created as an angel, grows up to be the Great Adversary. Hey, if you're going to go on about genetics, you might as well say the kid will grow up to be an angel. [...] Saying he'll grow up to be a demon just because his dad ''became'' one is like saying a mouse with its tail cut off will give birth to tailless mice.”
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** This frequently happens among Houses, with distinctive looks and sometimes personalities among Houses. For example, the three Baratheon brothers, Robert, Stannis and Renly are noted to be quite stubborn, though apart from that they have quite different personalities. Robert's bastards all resemble him, which becomes a plot point as his ''legitimate'' children don't, looking more like their mother Cersei's House, the Lannisters. [[spoiler:It later turns out they are not Robert's children, but were sired from an incestuous affair between Cersei and her brother, Ser Jaime Lannister.]] Robert's bastards also seem to share the Baratheon stubbornness, even Gendry who is unaware of his parentage, though correctly thinks his father was some smelly drunk. Two of Robert's bastards also share his affinity for hammers, Edric Storm had a miniature hammer sent to him for a present, while Gendry uses a hammer himself and has been trained as a smith.
** With regards to Cersei's father Tywin Lannister, his youngest child Tyrion Lannister seems to have inherited his Machiavellian intelligence. Ironically due to Tyrion being a dwarf and for Tywin's beloved wife Joanna dying in childbirth, Tywin hates Tyrion; when his sister Genna pointed out Tyrion was the child most like him, Tywin refused to speak to her. [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Cersei,]] meanwhile, believes she's inherited Tywin's political skill but only seems to inherit his cruelty and contempt for the smallfolk. Her eldest son [[RoyalBrat Joffrey]] is even nastier and more tyrannical then Cersei, though this may be partially due to her influence. Ironically Tywin's favored son Ser Jaime Lannister is the one least like him, not having Tywin's political savvy and becoming more decent as the story goes on, questioning the influence of his family on his actions.
** Walder Frey has a mass of descendants, being almost 90 when the series begins, and from his various marriages and affairs, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren number over a hundred. They're all generally described as looking like weasels and acting unpleasantly, though there are some nice Freys.
* ''Literature/TolkiensLegendarium''

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'':
** Memory can sometimes be inherited. While the Bene Geserrit gain their "other memories" during their transformation to reverend mothers (thus not being examples of this trope), Paul's children Leto and Ghanime seem to inherit the memories of all their ancestors. There are also the gholas, who are clones that regain the memories of their former lives, although that happens usually after they grow up.
** Personality traits are inherited, such as the honor of the Atreides and the evilness of the Harkonnens.
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': Tiza inherited her [[AuraVision Third Eye ability]] from her father, [[spoiler: Retina]]. He had to undergo mana mutation (or something like it) that imparted this special power unto him; she used it instinctively, like a child learning to walk. Haburt, an academic mage acquainted with both of them, assumes that [[spoiler: Retina's]] mana mutation fundamentally changed him biologically.
* In ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' all of the [[ReallyGetsAround numerous]] bastards of [[spoiler: Emperor Dayless]] demonstrate a common trait: being very skilled swordfighters with an eye for [[CombatPragmatist practicality]], just like [[MasterSwordsman their father]]. One character even cites this as evidence of [[BastardBastard another's]] parentage.
* In the ''Literature/HouseOfDoors'', the children of those who know magic are more able to learn it themselves.
* OlderThanFeudalism: Discussed and defied in Jeremiah 31:29-30. The Lord says:
--> "In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge."

* On ''Series/TheMentalist'', an internal affairs officer tells LawfulGood FairCop Rigsby it's not his fault if he's prone to crime, since his father was a biker, and evidence suggests criminality could run in the family. He is [[BerserkButton not happy]]. Also subverted in that everybody on the team is seen to be very different from their parents (who include the aforementioned biker, an abusive drunk, and a particularly nasty conman).
* Played with in ''Series/{{Psych}}'' where Gus (wrongly) believes that he can handle spicy (Indian) food because he's 1/4 Jamaican.
* The Goa'uld in ''Series/StargateSG1'' are a species for which LamarckWasRight. They even [[GeneticMemory inherit memories]]. Since they are aliens with a very divergent reproductive cycle, [[JustifiedTrope human genetics doesn't apply]]. What is less justifiable is that the child of two Goa'uld hosts also inherits memories, despite being biologically human.

* The daughters to the titular hero of ''Series/BlackLightning2018'' inherit their father's metahuman gene, developing their own powers. Whereas the older Anissa gains SuperStrength, it's the younger Jennifer who directly gains his ShockAndAwe abilities; however, while Black Lightning requires that he stores electricity in his body to fuel his powers, Jennifer ''generates'' electricity as her body keeps producing energy, the implication that she will potentially be stronger than her father one day after mastering her abilities.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', this apparently applies to an entire species: The Face of Boe is mentioned as being pregnant with Boemina in "The Long Game" and is the last of Boekind in "Gridlock". Then, in "Last of the Time Lords", it's strongly implied that the Face is Captain Jack at the end of his long life. Taking all this at face value, it would appear that "Boekind" are shorter-lived children of Captain Jack ''who are born in his final form''.

* In keeping with Gothic fiction, powerful curses in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting can be passed down from one generation to the next, deserved or not. This may say more about the Dark Powers' {{jerkass}} tendencies than about Lamarckism, however.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' 3rd Edition ''Steampunk'' sourcebook, optional rules are given if you want to play in a gameworld where Lamarckian evolution is correct, allowing high-skill parents to give exceptional talents to their offspring.

* The Archeans, human-analogs from the ''TabletopGame/{{Talislanta}}'' game, are descended from BeastFolk who'd used magic to eliminate their more animalistic traits.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': The Clans believe in this trope, even though it's not any truer in-universe than it is in the real world. Clan Trueborn warriors are ArtificialHumans made via UterineReplicator with the combined DNA of two previous Trueborn warriors. While all warriors have DNA samples taken at the beginning of their careers, DNA samples that are taken from them after they've performed a great victory or otherwise accomplished something major are considered "better" for use in reproduction than samples taken before such accomplishments. The Scientist Caste, who are the ones that are actually responsible for creating Trueborn generations, know this is silly but indulge the Warrior Caste anyway.

* Played straight in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII'' where at the end of each chapter, the main character can marry one of two girls. The kid will inherit the skills of his parents (including the capability of using magic) and some physical traits, including hair color.
* Solid Snake of the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series inherited, among other things, near-inhuman combat abilities and love of [[CompanionCube cardboard boxes]] from his "father" Big Boss, at least superficially. [[SubvertedTrope In practice,]] he had the "least perfect" genes of all his brothers and yet beat them due to his own combat experience. The genes only allowed him to be physically capable of being a good soldier, and it was still up to him whether he was and how good of one he was. After all, one of the main themes of Metal Gear is NatureVsNurture, and since he beat his genetically superior brothers, it's pretty obvious which side of the debate the game takes. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' even featured "Genome Soldiers" that were augmented by "gene therapy" with Big Boss's "soldier genes" in an effort to create elite soldiers without military training. [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy It didn't work]].
* ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa2'' had a system of inheriting the previous Emperor's abilities. Justified with magic, though.
* This is one of the main reasons for breeding in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. The offspring will inherit certain moves from the father (and from [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY Generation VI onwards]] the mother as well), and a lengthy "breeding chain" can be set up to get unique moves for Pokémon that wouldn't learn then normally.
* The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series' Chao (introduced in ''Sonic Adventure'') work a little bit like this. Two Chao born as completely blank slates with randomized stat grades (indicating how well they're going to progress when that stat levels up) can raise their stats through work and raise a stat's grade. If you breed them together, the child will inherit stat grades from one parent or the other and can inherit the ''improved'' grade rather than the original.

* The ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' chocobo breeding sidequest relied partly on the birds' rankings in the chocobo racing minigame to produce Green, Blue, Black, and Gold chocobos with special powers.

* ''VideoGame/InfinityBlade'' is this trope distilled into a video game. In it, the hero must defeat the evil God King, but will inevitably fail. No worries though, as his offspring inherits all XP and equipment from him, allowing the player to become stronger with each new generation. [[spoiler:As it turns out, that's not true. The main character is actually a Deathless who is resurrected back to a child's body after each death.]]

* Until the 2.5.2 patch for the ''Conclave'' DLC, educating children in ''[[VideoGame/CrusaderKings Crusader Kings II]]'' could bestow them with inheritable traits like strong, quick, genius... or imbecile.

* In ''VideoGame/ShepherdsCrossing,'' the color of an animal's offspring can change based on the food you feed them. However, these alternately-colored children can pass on to their offspring regardless of what they eat.

* ''Webcomic/DragonBallMultiverse'': [[spoiler:U16 Bra]] is so strong because of it.

* Thoroughly deconstructed in [[http://shifti.org/wiki/Lamarckism_Troubles Lamarckism Troubles]].
* Grandchildren of people who had lived through famine were less likely to catch diabetes. Mice exposed to enriched learning environments had offspring with improved memory This apparent Lamarckian inheritance is the [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19161_the-6-creepiest-things-hiding-in-your-dna_p2.html third creepiest thing hiding in your DNA]] according to ''Website/{{Cracked}}''. This article also mentions endogenous retroviruses (see Real Life below).

* ''Famous 5: On The Case'', the Creator/{{Disney}} cartoon based loosely on [[Creator/EnidBlyton The Famous Five]], plays this straight with the children of the original Five. Both boys have sons, both girls have daughters. Julian and his son Max are both action leaders, Dick and Dylan are both TheSmartGuy, George and Jo are tomboys, Allie and Anne are girly girls. And, well, Timmy Jr is still a dog, but that one's justified.

* On ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime,'' making an [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot immortal psychic griffin/sphinx]] out of the DNA of the local [[IncorruptiblePurePureness pure-of-heart]] KidHero is apparently proof positive that it won't be evil.
* On ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife,'' Dr. Hutchison (a cat) [[WhaleEgg lays an egg]] after marrying Filburt (a turtle) and leaves it in his care while she goes to work. Filburt has his friend Heffer ([[SpeciesSurname a steer]]) sit on the egg to keep it warm. It eventually hatches into four kids, one of whom looks like Heffer.
* There was an episode of ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'' where the duo enter a BadFuture where Winslow's 38th descendant is an EvilOverlord. Who, after generations of physical training has become humungous and incredibly buff [[DisproportionateRetribution all because Cat made fun of his size one too many times]].

* A 1942 MGM cartoon called ''Chips Off the Old Block'' has a beat-up old tomcat named Butch find a litter of [[DoorstopBaby Doorstop Kittens]] that he tries to hide from his mistress. He's obviously the father because they all have the same coloring as he does... and the same chewed-up ear(!).

See also EvolutionaryLevels and SuperpowerfulGenetics. Compare InTheBlood for the morality version. GenerationXerox exaggerates this trope; the kids inherit more than just their parent's physical traits. SubTrope of AllTheoriesAreTrue. MuggleBornOfMages is the {{subver|tedTrope}}sion. RandomlyGifted is an [[AvertedTrope aversion]]. Not to be confused with MorphicResonance, despite it being the (pseudo)scientific name for this.

* Marvel character Scorpion (Carmilla Black) was designed based on the original plan that she was the daughter of Viper (Madame Hydra). To show she was Viper's daughter they gave her naturally green hair. As Viper's hair is dyed, instead, they ended up with Monica Rappaccini (AIM's Scientist Supreme) as her mother, who DependingOnTheArtist ''also'' has green hair. It's later revealed that her father might be [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]], who apparently fathered her ''immediately'' after the incident that created the Hulk, but she lacks any kind of Hulk traits beyond being low-key radioactive. However, this is ''not'' because of his DNA, but rather that Monica altered her DNA in the womb as part of an experiment to make her the perfect sleeper agent, and all her powers come from that.

* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Joseph was born with the ability to instinctively use the Ripple technique that his grandfather Jonathan had mastered, but without finesse or battle reliability of his ancestor. While Joseph's father George inherited no aptitude for the Ripple from Jonathan, [[spoiler:Joseph's mother was trained in its use.]]
** The potential to develop a stand is genetic. Also, if someone already has a stand when they have kids, their children will have a much easier time developing a stand than normal. Developing a stand without at least one parent who already has one is shown to be very difficult, with most examples shown in the series having some sort of supernatural catalyst such as the arrow. Taken to its logical extreme in Part 8, where every single member of the Higashikata family has a stand.

** The "Battle For The Cowl" miniseries/crossover began to fix that. Another villain points out to Langstrom that it's ''impossible'' for a mix of common chemicals to have that effect, that the formula was a psychological crutch for the activation of Langstrom's innate super-powers. Indeed, in that same issue he transforms ''without the formula'' and kept control (to a degree). Apparently it [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on the writer]]; [[DaddysLittleVillain Talia al-Ghul]] steals the formula a year later and uses it [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman create an army of ninja Man-Bats]].

* The children of characters in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse having similar powers are usually explained as "mutants" of some kind due to their progenitors' exposure to the weird. For example, Comicbook/SpiderGirl is the daughter of Spider-Man, even though his powers came from an outside source when he was in his teens. So too is Franklin Richards; both his parents were altered by cosmic rays and became empowered. However, taking the cake is probably Rachel Summers, daughter of Jean Grey, who was a mutant of impressive power and a wielder of the Phoenix Force. While it now makes sense, sort of, when she was first introduced, the Phoenix Force was a power that came to beings and could even leave them, as opposed to being a permanent change. Somehow, Rachel inherited that. Being the White Phoenix kind of was Jean Grey's mutation for a while, but not quite, so it almost makes sense, but somehow falls short. Apparently the Phoenix (which is a sentient entity in its own right) just likes fusing with members of the Grey-Summers lines.

* The Archeans, human-analogs from the ''TableTopGame/{{Talislanta}}'' game, are descended from BeastFolk who'd used magic to eliminate their more animalistic traits.

** Generally in the games, it's normally said that only certain bloodlines can use certain weapons. Examples include: the Falchion (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light]]''/''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem Mystery of the Emblem]]''/[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]]''); Aum Staff (''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''/''Mystery of the Emblem)'' and all of the holy weapons (''Genealogy of the Holy War'').
*** Funnily enough, it's zigzagged in the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Elibe]] saga; in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', only Eliwood (descended from Roland) can wield Durandal and only Hector (implied to be Durban's descendant) can wield Armads. But Lyn and Hector are also descended from Roland, and neither of them can wield Durandal. And in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'', anyone skilled enough in swords or axes can wield Durandal or Armads respectively, and Roy (who is not descended from Hartmut) can wield the Sword of Seals. But nobody except Hartmut's descendants (read: Zephiel) can wield Eckeseax.

* ''VideoGame/TheSims''

* ''WebComic/DragonBallMultiverse'': [[spoiler:U16 Bra]] is so strong because of it.

See also EvolutionaryLevels and SuperpowerfulGenetics. Compare InTheBlood for the morality version. GenerationXerox is this trope UpToEleven; the kids inherit more than just their parent's physical traits. SubTrope of AllTheoriesAreTrue. MuggleBornOfMages is the {{subver|tedTrope}}sion. RandomlyGifted is an [[AvertedTrope aversion]]. Not to be confused with MorphicResonance, despite it being the (pseudo)scientific name for this.

** Taken UpToEleven in ''VideoGame/TheSims4'', where a mother dyeing her hair during pregnancy will result in the baby having her new hair color (e.g. a pregnant brunette who dyes her hair red will get a red haired baby)

** The evil in Sideshow Bob's family is definitely InTheBlood, even [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E16BrotherFromAnotherSeries if certain members work independently of each other]]. ''This'' trope applies to [[spoiler:Bob's son, Gino, who apparently fantasized about murdering Bart before he had ''ever seen or heard of him''. He also inexplicably picked up his father's gift for [[RakeTake Rake Takes]].]]

* Several percent of human genome is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_retrovirus Endogenous retrovirus]] DNA. One of our ancestors got infected by a retrovirus, which made its way into the said ancestor's germ cells. Bingo! Now his/her children inherit the virus DNA with the parent DNA, until this day. Some of the endogenous retrovirus DNA has since mutated and became junk DNA ''sensu stricto'', but some of those viruses are actually still active and facilitating mutations and evolution, for better or for worse (like helping the embryo implant in the womb or playing a role in several diseases). It is highly unlikely the original infection was via a [[Franchise/SpiderMan spider bite]], though, or it would be a rare Lamarckian FunnyAneurysmMoment. Gene therapy exploits these viral vectors' ability to integrate themselves into hosts' DNA to make LegoGenetics possible, in order to cure genetic diseases forever or make {{Transhuman}} DesignerBabies.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' villainess Circe once turned herself into a ManchurianAgent named Donna Milton to get past Wonder Woman's LivingLieDetector powers. In this identity, she got pregnant ([[UnholyMatrimony by Ares]]) and had a daughter named Lyta. When "Donna's" real identity finally came to light, Lyta's appearance actually changed to match Circe's, most obviously with the [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair purple hair]]. She also inherited some of her mother's magical ability.

** ''Literature/TolkiensLegendarium''

* There are hints of this in ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'', especially in how Gollum adapts to semi-aquatic, underground life over the course of centuries, as well as the fish that he hunts, that have grown large, bulging eyes in an attempt to see in the darkness. And then there's the race of Petty-Dwarves, who've grown stunted and hunched from generations of suspicious, secretive lifestyle.
** The version of the Orcs' origin that made it into the published ''[[Literature/TheSilmarillion Silmarillion]]'', wherein they're descended from Elves whom Morgoth tortured and corrupted, is very Lamarckian. On the other hand, the story is presented as something the Elves ''believe'' to be true, not necessarily something that ''is'' true, and ''The Silmarillion'' is written as a mythological epic anyway, so Lamarckism fits the setting.

* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem - Geneology of the Holy War'' (an untranslated Japan-only game for the SNES, which received an excellent FanTranslation... even if it isn't quite finished), the characters in the second generation (if their mother was paired up with someone) have their skills/stats/stat growths influenced by their parents. The CharacterTiers take this into account.
** In the games (in general), it's normally said that only certain bloodlines can use certain weapons. Examples include: the Falchion ([=FE1/FE3/=]Shadow Dragon/Awakening); Aum Staff ([=FE1/FE3/=]Shadow Dragon) and all of the holy weapons (Genealogy of the Holy War).
*** Funnily enough, it's zigzagged in the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Elibe]] saga; in ''The Blazing Blade'', only Eliwood (descended from Roland) can wield Durandal and only Hector (implied to be Durban's descendant) can wield Armads. But Lyn and Hector are also descended from Roland, and neither of them can wield Durandal. And in ''The Sword of Seals,'' anyone skilled enough in swords or axes can wield Durandal or Armads respectively, and Roy (who is not descended from Hartmut) can wield the Sword of Seals. But nobody except Hartmut's descendants (read: Zephiel) can wield Eckeseax.

* In ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'' is frequently implied that ninja powers have been developed through selective breeding and are transmitted within a family line. For example, Shogen's little brother is almost identical to him even in abilities, while at one point Danjo mentions that Gennosuke inherited his MagicalEyes from his mother's family line.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', it is implied that the titular character's [[FacialMarkings signature whisker marks]] were the result of his in utero exposure to the chakra of the demon fox sealed within his mother at the time of pregnancy. This trope comes into play, however, when [[spoiler: both of Naruto's own children are shown to have inherited these marks from him. Presumably that exposure to the fox's chakra caused a genetic mutation in Naruto, which was passed on to his children. Though why the same thing didn't happen to Tsunade and her brother, who ''also'' had a grandmother who was the Nine-Tails' host, is not explained.]] Answer: Later in the story we find out that Tsunade personally remembers both her grandfather Hashirama and Madara, even though she was very little when they died and "died". Which means that her grandmother did not become a jinchuuriki until after she was born. There was no opportunity for either she or her parent to be influenced by it.

* ''Famous 5: On The Case'', the Creator/{{Disney}} cartoon based loosely on [[Creator/EnidBlyton The Famous Five]], plays this straight with the children of the original Five. Both boys have sons, both girls have daughters. Julian and his son Max are both action leaders, Dick and Dylan are both {{smart guy}}s, George and Jo are tomboys, Allie and Anne are girly girls. And, well, Timmy Jr is still a dog, but that one's justified.

* As mentioned above, recently, it's been discovered that some acquired changes ''can'' be inherited, albeit in a weaker, more general, less permanent, and (probably) less important form. The study of this is called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics epigenetics]]. Chemical changes to the DNA can help inactivate or activate parts of it -- and because it's still DNA, these can be passed on. For instance, malnutrition might mean that your DNA doesn't methylate properly while you're growing up, and conditions in the womb can affect development of the fetus, which can pass on some information about the mother's environment -- how much food is available, and so on -- to the child. ScienceMarchesOn. [[note]]Technically epigenetics is the study of DNA being turned on and off ''in general'', something that happens all the time in a living organism. What's recent is the discovery that these normally short-lived changes can sometimes last long enough to be inherited.[[/note]]

* Endosymbiosis is the current prevailing theory on the origin of certain organelles--mainly the mitochondria and chloroplasts--in the cells of eukaryotic (e.g. multicellular) life. The theory is that the organelles were originally entirely separate single celled organisms that were eaten by the eukaryotic cell but not digested properly. When the larger cell divided, so would the organelles, and so they were passed onto descendants without any immediate genetic change. In the course of evolution, most of the organelles' DNA was deleted or outsourced into the nucleus of the host.

** As Creator/IsaacAsimov (or Creator/CarlSagan?) has pointed out: Jewish boys have been circumcised for many generations, but still every Jewish boy is born with a foreskin. The exception is when they're [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aposthia aposthic]]. However that isn't hereditary, rather it's a rare mutation, though it was once upheld as evidence for both Lamarckianism and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blending_inheritance blending inheritance]].

* Several percent of human genome is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_retrovirus Endogenous retrovirus]] DNA. One of our ancestors got infected by a retrovirus, which made its way into the said ancestor's germ cells. Bingo! Now his/her children inherit the virus DNA with the parent DNA, until this day. Some of the endogenous retrovirus DNA has since mutated and became junk DNA ''sensu stricto'', but some of those viruses are actually still active and facilitating mutations and evolution, for better or for worse (like helping the embryo implant in the womb, or playing a role in several diseases). It is highly unlikely the original infection was via a [[Franchise/SpiderMan spider bite]], though, or it would be a rare Lamarckian FunnyAneurysmMoment. Gene therapy exploits these viral vectors' ability to integrate themselves into hosts' DNA to make LEGOGenetics possible, in order to cure genetic diseases forever or make TransHuman DesignerBabies.
* Cultural evolution ''does'' work like this, as ideas acquired in life (or [[MemeticMutation mutations thereof]]) can be taught to one's offspring.
** Linguistic evolution works like this too. Two languages from completely different families may end up sharing common features if their populations stay in close contact for long periods of time. For example, UsefulNotes/{{Japanese|Language}}, Vietnamese, and Korean all belong to different families unrelated to the UsefulNotes/{{Chinese language}}s, but they adopted Chinese vocabulary and variants of Chinese writing (though Vietnamese and Korean have mostly abandoned Chinese-based scripts in favour of their own alphabets). Likewise, {{Yiddish|AsASecondLanguage}} originated as an offshoot of medieval UsefulNotes/{{German|Language}} influenced by Hebrew and written in a Hebrew-based script, and UsefulNotes/{{Spanish|Language}} and Swahili developed strong UsefulNotes/{{Arabic|Language}} influence over centuries of Arab contact.
* If your parents are 'intelligentsia' or 'politicians' or 'military middle class' you'll usually be expected to be good at the same sort of jobs, and be expected to grow up as one as well.

* Briefly thought to have occured with second-generation phocomelia, a congenital deformity primarily seen in infants whose mothers used thalidomide during pregnancy. Although the damage inflicted on these unborn children was environmental in origin, a small number of phocomeliacs subsequently grew up, married one another, and (rarely) produced phocomeliac children. Further investigation subverted this trope, revealing that children who'd been deformed by thalidomide had ''already'' been genetically predisposed to suffer such developmental flaws in response to chemical contaminants, and their second-generation children inherited a double dose of that susceptibility, making them subject to phocomelia even in the absence of thalidomide.
* [[http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/06/07/the-economist-guide-to-parenting-full-transcript/ Analysis of adopted Korean War orphans]] showed a surprising amount of genetic influence over the life of the child. The education level of the adopted parents had a puny effect on the adopted child's education (each year of maternal education translated to a four-week boost to the child) and the adopted parents had no effect at all on the child's adult income.
** That's not necessarily genetic, though. We know that the impact of poverty, malnutrition and stress on foetal development is vast, and that this continues to affect health and intelligence in adulthood.

-->'''Gandhi:''' If there's one thing Mahatma Gandhi stands for, it's REVENGE!

** In ''VideoGame/TheSims2'', Servos would have all the skills and talent badges of their creator (including the gold robotics talent badge required to build a Servo in the first place). Plant-sim babies that are "spawned" independently instead of conceived by [==WooHoo==] likewise inherit the skills and talent badges of their parent.

** In ''VideoGame/TheSims2'', Servos would have all the skills and talent badges of their creator (including the gold robotics talent badge required to build a Servo in the first place). Plant-sim babies that are "spawned" independently instead of conceived by WooHoo likewise inherit the skills and talent badges of their parent.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', it is implied that the titular character's [[FacialMarkings signature whisker marks]] were the result of his in utero exposure to the chakra of the demon fox sealed within his mother at the time of pregnancy. This trope comes into play, however, when [[spoiler: both of Naruto's own children are shown to have inherited these marks from him. Presumably that exposure to the fox's chakra caused a genetic mutation in Naruto, which was passed on to his children. Though why the same thing didn't happen to Tsunade and her brother, who ''also'' had a grandmother who was the Nine-Tails' host, is not explained.]]

* Prior to the 19th century, it was widely believed that "maternal impression" could alter a resulting child's form; e.g., the Elephant Man supposedly got his appearance due to his mother being startled by an elephant while pregnant with him.