Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

48.4K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
48.4K
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

33.1K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
33.1K
Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

42.5K
The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
42.5K
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

3.8K
John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...
3.8K
Comparative Excretory Systems02:24

Comparative Excretory Systems

26.7K
Animals have evolved different strategies for excretion, the removal of waste from the body. Most waste must be dissolved in water to be excreted, so an animal’s excretory strategy directly affects its water balance.
26.7K
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

3.7K
3.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The evolution and functional significance of neuropeptide cocktails: insights from SALMFamides in asteroid echinoderms.

Open biology·2026
Same author

Molecular mechanisms of native ligand selectivity in catecholamine G protein-coupled receptors.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Evolution in metazoans of the TRPM channel family involves multiple gains and losses of genes and domains.

Molecular biology and evolution·2026
Same author

Long-term inhibition of protease hypersensitivity by initial immunological cross-regulation and epigenetic memory in lung stromal cells.

Nature immunology·2026
Same author

Evolution of neurohormone function revealed by actions of kisspeptin-type peptides in an echinoderm.

BMC biology·2026
Same author

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2025/26: G protein-coupled receptors.

British journal of pharmacology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Multi-Faceted Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Neuropeptides in Callinectes sapidus
09:22

Multi-Faceted Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Neuropeptides in Callinectes sapidus

Published on: May 31, 2022

2.9K

Evolution of neuropeptide signalling systems.

Maurice R Elphick1, Olivier Mirabeau2, Dan Larhammar3

  • 1School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK m.r.elphick@qmul.ac.uk.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|February 15, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Neuropeptide signaling systems evolved early in animal life, with at least 30 originating before the split of major animal groups. Genome duplications in vertebrates further expanded these systems, revealing complex evolutionary patterns.

Keywords:
EvolutionInvertebrateNeuropeptidePhylogenyReceptorVertebrate

More Related Videos

MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry of Neuropeptides in Parkinson's Disease
16:57

MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry of Neuropeptides in Parkinson's Disease

Published on: February 14, 2012

26.9K
Time-Resolved In Vivo Measurement of Neuropeptide Dynamics by Capacitive Immunoprobe in Porcine Heart
08:20

Time-Resolved In Vivo Measurement of Neuropeptide Dynamics by Capacitive Immunoprobe in Porcine Heart

Published on: May 19, 2022

2.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Multi-Faceted Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Neuropeptides in Callinectes sapidus
09:22

Multi-Faceted Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Neuropeptides in Callinectes sapidus

Published on: May 31, 2022

2.9K
MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry of Neuropeptides in Parkinson's Disease
16:57

MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry of Neuropeptides in Parkinson's Disease

Published on: February 14, 2012

26.9K
Time-Resolved In Vivo Measurement of Neuropeptide Dynamics by Capacitive Immunoprobe in Porcine Heart
08:20

Time-Resolved In Vivo Measurement of Neuropeptide Dynamics by Capacitive Immunoprobe in Porcine Heart

Published on: May 19, 2022

2.5K

Area of Science:

  • Comparative physiology
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Neuropeptides are crucial signaling molecules in animals, but their evolutionary history is complex.
  • Identifying neuropeptide relationships across diverse phyla has been challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding neuropeptide signaling evolution.
  • To trace the evolutionary origins and diversification of neuropeptide systems.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of genome and transcriptome sequence data.
  • Deorphanization of neuropeptide receptors.

Main Results:

  • At least 30 neuropeptide signaling systems trace back to the common ancestor of protostomes and deuterostomes.
  • Vertebrate evolution involved two genome duplications, expanding neuropeptide repertoires.
  • Lineage-specific gene loss and duplications created complex phylogenetic distributions of neuropeptide systems.

Conclusions:

  • Comparative genomics and deorphanization have revolutionized neuropeptide evolution research.
  • It is now feasible to compare neuropeptide functions across diverse phyla.
  • Reconstructing the evolution of neuropeptide function in animals is an achievable future goal.