Once again research is finding just how dynamic the placenta truly is. New research has found pituitary hormones from the placenta have ancestral origins in therian (live bearing) mammals. “Placental expression of these pituitary hormones has clearly been conserved in marsupials as in eutherian (placental) mammals, suggesting an ancestral origin of the evolution of placental expression and a critical function of these hormones in growth and development of all therian mammals.”, from the evodevojournal.com. The research is suggesting that the placental growth hormones are important in regulating the rapid fetal growth that occurs in the final third of gestation.
The entire short abstract can be read by clicking on this link- www.evodevojournal.com.
