The shedding of the superficial endometrium (menstruation) is a recent evolutionary attribute. It occurs only in few placental mammals (including humans and baboons), when in most other mammalian species the endometrium is reabsorbed at the end of the cycle. Scientists can’t explain this mechanism, but it is crucial for understanding gynaecological disorders. In this project we are profiling gene expression and regulation in the uterine mucosa in a set of mammals that either do or do not menstruate, to understand the functional and evolutionary underpinnings of menstruation.
Related team publications: