Epigenetic Pathways to Giftedness: Bridging Biology and Talent Development

Contemporary talent-development models recognize that ability is malleable and shaped by experience, yet lack a mechanistic explanation of how environmental factors biologically enable or constrain cognitive and creative potential. Epigenetics provides that missing layer but has largely been absent from gifted-education scholarship. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 70 human, animal, and multi-cohort studies, following PRISMA guidelines, to examine how epigenetic mechanisms interact with the conditions shaping the development of cognitive and creative potential across the lifespan. Findings across five thematic domains converge on a consistent pattern: intellectual and creative potential are shaped by cumulative environmental exposures rather than fixed at birth, with early adversity and enrichment leaving biologically detectable signatures that influence learning-related development over time. These findings challenge snapshot-based identification practices, support trajectory-based and context-sensitive assessment, and reframe underrepresentation not as a student deficit but as a constrained developmental opportunity. Epigenetic evidence strengthens the scientific case for equitable, enrichment-first approaches to talent development while reinforcing the field’s long-standing commitments to growth, opportunity, and developmental justice.