Final answer:
A mutation in the Igf2 gene will have greater consequences if inherited from the male parent, due to experimental evidence of sex-specific epigenetic inheritance seen in rats, where environmental toxins induced changes in germ line cells that were passed on to future generations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mutation in the Igf2 gene, which can lead to altered embryonic development, is going to have a greater consequence if it is inherited from the male parent, particularly in light of epigenetic inheritance. Studies involving rats have demonstrated that environmental factors can induce epigenetic changes in germ line cells, which are then passed down to subsequent generations, leading to illnesses even without direct exposure to the original toxin. This suggests that the environment can cause acquired changes that affect not just one, but multiple generations in a sex-specific manner. Moreover, mutations in genes vital to embryonic development can have significant outcomes, as germline mutations are heritable and can cause genetic diseases or increase susceptibility to illnesses, such as is seen with mutations in the BRCA2 gene influencing the likelihood of breast cancer. The process by which changes in a fetus are passed down through the sperm or egg, thus affecting subsequent generations, is indeed more pronounced in vertebrate embryogenesis and can result in various maladies depending on the nature of the mutation.