Vertebrates thrive in numerous environments, making up about 4% of all described animal species. These animals display great diversity in phylogeny, evolutionary history, lifestyle, and morphology. They have evolved many fascinating biological functions and phenomena, including life-history strategies (e.g., metamorphosis, hibernation, dormancy, estivation, temperature-dependent sex determination, and starvation tolerance), extraordinary morphology (e.g., camouflage, visual degeneration, albinism, rapid color change, and feet webbing), physiological functions (e.g., ultrasonic and infrasonic communication, echolocation, freezing tolerance, and infrared vision), and specialized organs (e.g., poison and secretory glands, rumen, and electric organ). These biological functions and phenomena enable animals to cope with environmental changes and improve their capacity to explore new environments (e.g., from water to land, adaptation to extremes). The genetic and molecular bases of these traits or phenomena have great significance in answering some fundamental questions in evolution and life sciences, and the regulation mechanisms can be applied to bionics, healthcare, and medicine science. Currently, our understanding of these intriguing functions or phenomena is still limited, especially the lack of systematic understanding of their molecular bases and regulation pattern. As the endocrine system has a central role in the regulation of ontogenesis, morphogenesis, and physiological functions in animals, it is crucial to illuminate the role of the endocrine system in the evolution, development, and regulation of the important functions or phenomena in vertebrates.
This Research Topic aims to reveal the genetic and molecular basis of the intriguing biological functions and phenomena (including but not limited to the items listed above) in vertebrates from both the mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives, with emphasis on the role of the endocrine system in the evolution, development and regulation of these traits.
We welcome submissions that focus on the evolutionary and mechanistic analyses of the important biological functions and phenomena in vertebrates, with an endocrine or molecular relevance. In addition to traditional physiological, molecular, and biochemical studies, it is also encouraged to use model technology and “Omics” approaches to answer these questions. Some examples include:
• Endocrine and molecular regulation on the onset and termination of life-history strategies (e.g., metamorphosis, hibernation, dormancy, and estivation);
• Gene expression atlas and molecular regulation networks underpinning the development and functional maturation of morphological traits, physiological functions, and specialized organs;
• Systematic analyses on seasonal, age-related, and environment-related variations of important biological functions and phenomena at molecular and cellular levels;
• Identification and functional verification of critical genes or active molecules determining the biological functions and morphology;
• Comparative analyses on the origin and evolution of morphology, physiological functions and specialized organs, with endocrine relevance (e.g., evolutionary analyses on the critical hormone receptors and signal pathways regulating the morphogenesis and physiological functions)
Vertebrates thrive in numerous environments, making up about 4% of all described animal species. These animals display great diversity in phylogeny, evolutionary history, lifestyle, and morphology. They have evolved many fascinating biological functions and phenomena, including life-history strategies (e.g., metamorphosis, hibernation, dormancy, estivation, temperature-dependent sex determination, and starvation tolerance), extraordinary morphology (e.g., camouflage, visual degeneration, albinism, rapid color change, and feet webbing), physiological functions (e.g., ultrasonic and infrasonic communication, echolocation, freezing tolerance, and infrared vision), and specialized organs (e.g., poison and secretory glands, rumen, and electric organ). These biological functions and phenomena enable animals to cope with environmental changes and improve their capacity to explore new environments (e.g., from water to land, adaptation to extremes). The genetic and molecular bases of these traits or phenomena have great significance in answering some fundamental questions in evolution and life sciences, and the regulation mechanisms can be applied to bionics, healthcare, and medicine science. Currently, our understanding of these intriguing functions or phenomena is still limited, especially the lack of systematic understanding of their molecular bases and regulation pattern. As the endocrine system has a central role in the regulation of ontogenesis, morphogenesis, and physiological functions in animals, it is crucial to illuminate the role of the endocrine system in the evolution, development, and regulation of the important functions or phenomena in vertebrates.
This Research Topic aims to reveal the genetic and molecular basis of the intriguing biological functions and phenomena (including but not limited to the items listed above) in vertebrates from both the mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives, with emphasis on the role of the endocrine system in the evolution, development and regulation of these traits.
We welcome submissions that focus on the evolutionary and mechanistic analyses of the important biological functions and phenomena in vertebrates, with an endocrine or molecular relevance. In addition to traditional physiological, molecular, and biochemical studies, it is also encouraged to use model technology and “Omics” approaches to answer these questions. Some examples include:
• Endocrine and molecular regulation on the onset and termination of life-history strategies (e.g., metamorphosis, hibernation, dormancy, and estivation);
• Gene expression atlas and molecular regulation networks underpinning the development and functional maturation of morphological traits, physiological functions, and specialized organs;
• Systematic analyses on seasonal, age-related, and environment-related variations of important biological functions and phenomena at molecular and cellular levels;
• Identification and functional verification of critical genes or active molecules determining the biological functions and morphology;
• Comparative analyses on the origin and evolution of morphology, physiological functions and specialized organs, with endocrine relevance (e.g., evolutionary analyses on the critical hormone receptors and signal pathways regulating the morphogenesis and physiological functions)
