"Similarities to the womb and placenta of female mammals indicate a response to common evolutionary challenges in pregnancy."
"Seahorses, pipefish and sea dragons of the family Syngnathidae are unique among animals in that the males give birth to live young. However, it seems that the molecular and cellular development leading up to this point is remarkably similar to that involved in mammalian pregnancy."
Seahorses, pipefish and sea dragons (family Syngnathidae) exhibit male pregnancy, with males carrying and giving birth to live young. Molecular and cellular development in male brood tissues parallels mammalian uterine and placental development. Similarities to the womb and placenta of female mammals point to shared solutions for nutrient transfer, immune modulation and embryo support during pregnancy. These parallels represent convergent evolution of reproductive structures and molecular pathways despite independent evolutionary origins. Comparative studies of these systems can illuminate shared mechanisms of offspring provisioning, parental investment and the evolution of complex reproductive adaptations across vertebrates.
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