300099 SE Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Reproductive Biology (2025W)

In this semester, we will discuss the Evolution of the (primarily) mammalian maternal-fetal interface (utero-placental interface). The readings consist of chapters of a forthcoming book on this topic. The readings will be provided ahead of the seminars.

Background: viviparity and a long-lasting physiological connection between the embryo/fetus and the mother is a key features of eutherian (so-called placental) mammals. Even though viviparity in the broad sense has evolved many times in animals, the mammalian form of viviparity is special in terms of the level of anatomical and cell biological intimacy of that relationship. It is also a highly unlikely arrangement that raises a host of biological paradoxa. Not the least of which is the immunological paradox, first articulated by Paul Medawar in 1952: why is the fetus not attacked by the mother's adaptive immune system. But there are more, like the inflammation paradox etc. Hence the problem of explaining the evolution of mammalian pregnancy has to focus on the question how evolution overcame these paradoxa.

7. 10. 2025
Introduction [Instructors]

21. 10. 2025
Phylogenetic and developmental context
a. Brief recap of vertebrate phylogeny
b. A short survey of female reproductive tract anatomy
c. The extra-embryonic structures

28. 10. 2025
The many faces of viviparity
d. The fundamental dimensions of female reproductive biology
e. Phylogenetic patterns of female reproductive modes
f. The adaptive reasons for viviparity

4.11. + 11.11. 2025
Evolutionary paradoxa on the way to the fetal maternal unit
g. What are biological paradoxa and how do they help us understand evolution
h. Interlude: fetal maternal conflict and paradoxa
i. Attachment: the cell biological paradox
j. From attachment to implantation: the inflammation paradox
k. From implantation to placentation: the tissue biological paradox
l. From placentation to immune tolerance: the immunological paradox
m. Mammalian placentation: pulling together a string of evolutionary innovations

18.11. + 25.11. 2025
The Natural History of Decidua
n. Decidua and the paradoxa of implantation
o. Phylogenetic distribution of decidual cells
p. Single cell perspectives on decidual cell evolution
q. The changing functional roles of decidua
r. The tissue biological perspective
s. The cellular elements of decidua
t. Challenges to the decidua hypothesis

2.12. + 9.12. 2025
A synthetic scenario for the origin of decidual cells
u. How to research the cell type specific molecular biology of a cell type?
v. How to research the cell type specific molecular biology of a cell type?
w. Construction of the scenario

16.12. 2025
Recognition of pregnancy: coordinating ovarian and utero-placental function
x. The Ovarian Cycle and the post-fertilization events
y. Recognition of pregnancy in a few eutherian examples
z. The corpus luteum and its evolution
aa. Whence did progesterone come?
bb. The relationship between gestational period and the ovarian cycle
cc. A phylogenetic scenario

13.1.2025
“The placenta” is not a unitary character
dd. The formal definition of “placenta” and its limits
ee. Diversity and evolution of placental morphologies
ff. Critique of the placental typology
gg. Why is discoidal placental ancestral?

20.1.2025
The Evolution of the Fetal-Maternal Relationship has consequences: Menstruation and Cancer
hh. Introduction
ii. Menstruation
jj. The good, the bad and the ugly: the placenta-cancer-malignancy connection

27.1. 2025
Explaining and interpreting the eutherian pregnancy: evidence, models and metaphors.
Synthesis and a recap of discussions.