Early experiences in an animal’s life can have a significant impact on its capacity to thrive, even years or decades later, and DNA methylation may help record their effects. In a study of 256 wild baboons, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Duke University found that resource limitation during early life was associated with many differences in DNA methylation, a small chemical mark on the DNA sequence that can affect gene activity. Resource limitation was more important than other types of early environmental stressors, suggesting the particular importance of resource deprivation in the first years of life. However, the researchers also suggest that aspects of the environment at the time of sampling, such as social status, may be more important in explaining differences in DNA methylation between individuals, indicating that multiple pathways must connect early life effects on later life outcomes.