Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Anatomie

Morphology, Development, and Evolution of the Adenohypophysis

Abstract

Corey S. Johnson

The pituitary gland is an essential component of the endocrine system of vertebrates. It is responsible for the control of various processes, including metabolism, reproduction, lactation, the response to stress, growth, and morphological color change. Though having some variation, jawed vertebrates possess many shared features of pituitary development, morphology, and function. In this review, the evolutionary origins of these characteristics are traced with a focus on the origins of the relationship between the hypothalamus and the adenohypophysis. Recent research into the developmental biology of chordates and the hormones of hagfish and lampreys have shed light upon the evolutionary novelties of jawed vertebrates.