Melatonin is a ubiquitous molecule present in almost every live being from bacteria to
humans. In vertebrates, besides being produced in peripheral tissues and acting as an …

The fertility and survival of an individual rely on the ability of the periphery to promptly,
effectively, and reproducibly communicate with brain neural networks that control …

In humans, the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 are synthesized in the thyroid gland in a
process that crucially involves the iodoglycoprotein thyroglobulin. The overall structure of …

Thriving in times of resource scarcity requires an incredible flexibility of behavioral,
physiological, cellular, and molecular functions that must change within a relatively short …

Mammalian hibernators survive prolonged periods of cold and resource scarcity by
temporarily modulating normal physiological functions, but the mechanisms underlying …

Adaptation to the environment is essential for survival, in all wild animal species seasonal
variation in temperature and food availability needs to be anticipated. This has led to the …

Various animals across the tree of life express some form of programmed dormancy (eg
hibernation, diapause) to maximize fitness in highly seasonal environments. The integrated …

Seasonal neuroendocrine cycles that govern annual changes in reproductive activity,
energy metabolism and hair growth are almost ubiquitous in mammals that have evolved at …

Echinoderms exhibit several fascinating evolutionary innovations that are rarely seen in the
animal kingdom, but how these animals attained such features is not well understood. Here …

Persistent free-running circannual (approximately year-long) rhythms have evolved in
animals to regulate hormone cycles, drive metabolic rhythms (including hibernation), and …