telegony

Telegony is a discredited theory that claims the traits of a previous mate can influence the offspring of a female with a subsequent mate. This idea, which dates back to Aristotle, suggests that a female's reproductive history could affect later offspring, even if the father was different. For example, it was once believed that if a mare mated with a zebra and later with a stallion, the foal might show zebra-like stripes.12

Modern genetics, particularly the work of Gregor Mendel, has disproven telegony. Heredity is understood to be passed through genes, and acquired characteristics or influences from previous matings are not transmitted to subsequent offspring. This concept is now considered a superstition and is incompatible with current scientific understanding of genetics.32