Most of our epigenetic information is reset when we reproduce. Epigenetic changes play a big role in the differentiation of cells into their different types; since epigenetics changes the expression of genes, it can make cells behave differently. There are several methyltranserase enzymes whose job is to set up methylation patterns in the different types of cells while the embryo is still developing.
Methylation of DNA tends to persist through cell division because there are enzymes which approximately copy over the methylation patterns during DNA replication. If some epigenetic changes happen in sperm or eggs, then some of this may be carried over to offspring. You're right that we're still in the early days of mapping this out and understanding it. Molecular biology is a crazy mess that makes the worst spaghetti code look downright reasonable. That's evolution for you....
Methylation of DNA tends to persist through cell division because there are enzymes which approximately copy over the methylation patterns during DNA replication. If some epigenetic changes happen in sperm or eggs, then some of this may be carried over to offspring. You're right that we're still in the early days of mapping this out and understanding it. Molecular biology is a crazy mess that makes the worst spaghetti code look downright reasonable. That's evolution for you....