The effects of sex hormones on immune function have received much attention, especially
following the proposal of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. Many studies, both …

Modern evolutionary biology is founded on the Mendelian-genetic model of inheritance, but
it is now clear that this model is incomplete. Empirical evidence shows that environment …

Maternal effects are now universally recognised as a form of nongenetic parental influence
on offspring but, until recently, paternal effects were regarded as an anomaly. Although it is …

In order to explain the huge variation in parental behaviour, evolutionary biologists have
traditionally used a cost–benefit approach, which enables them to analyse behavioural traits …

Maternal immunity is of paramount importance for protection of young ones at early stage of
life since the immune factors of an immunocompetent female are transferred transplacentally …

Many organisms defend their fitness against attack from parasites and pathogens by
mounting an immune response. Most physiological immune responses are internal and …

Fish skin mucus is an important component of the innate immune mechanism and provides
a first barrier against pathogens. Although several studies investigated and demonstrated …

Parental experience with parasites and pathogens can lead to increased offspring
resistance to infection, through a process known as transgenerational immune priming …

Amphibian embryos are at risk of microbial infection. Here we find evidence that innate
immune defenses, both antimicrobial skin peptides and mutualistic microbiota, of adult glass …

Microbial infection is a critical source of mortality for early life stages of oviparous
vertebrates, but parental defenses against infection are less well known. Avian incubation …