Epigenetic changes , how many generations does it last?

[windy miller]

Does anyone know how many generations epigenetic changes can last for? Is there a known limit, especially in mammals?

 

[.Scott]

Does anyone know how many generations epigenetic changes can last for? Is there a known limit, especially in mammals?

In mammals: 1 generation - and more commonly zero.
Here is an excerpt from a Life Sciences article:
https://www.livescience.com/37703-epigenetics.html

Epigenetic inheritance

It may be possible to pass down epigenetic changes to future generations if the changes occur in sperm or egg cells. Most epigenetic changes that occur in sperm and egg cells get erased when the two combine to form a fertilized egg, in a process called "reprogramming." This reprogramming allows the cells of the fetus to "start from scratch" and make their own epigenetic changes. But scientists think some of the epigenetic changes in parents' sperm and egg cells may avoid the reprogramming process, and make it through to the next generation. If this is true, things like the food a person eats before they conceive could affect their future child. However, this has not been proven in people.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information has a good article on this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4020004/

Here is the abstract:

Since the human genome was sequenced, the term “epigenetics” is increasingly being associated with the hope that we are more than just the sum of our genes. Might what we eat, the air we breathe, or even the emotions we feel, influence not only our genes but those of descendents? The environment can certainly influence gene expression, and can lead to disease, but trans-generational consequences are another matter. While the inheritance of epigenetic characters can certainly occur - particularly in plants – how much is due to the environment and the extent to which it happens in humans, remains unclear.