Embryonic diapause

Embryonic diapause is a temporary arrest or slowdown of embryo development before implantation or hatching. It lets offspring time development to conditions that favor survival.

Blastocyst: An early mammalian embryo consisting of an inner cell mass and an outer layer surrounding a fluid-filled cavity. In many mammals, diapause arrests development at this preimplantation stage.
Delayed implantation: A reproductive strategy in which implantation of an embryo is postponed after fertilization. It is a common mammalian form of embryonic diapause.
Bruce effect: Pregnancy termination in some rodents after exposure to unfamiliar male odors. The effect can prevent implantation and illustrates how environmental cues influence reproductive timing.
Reproductive timing: The scheduling of reproductive events in relation to an organism's life cycle and environment. Diapause separates fertilization from later development, allowing births to occur at favorable times.
Implantation: The process by which an embryo attaches to and becomes embedded in the uterine lining. In mammals with preimplantation diapause, renewed development precedes implantation.
Lactational diapause: Delayed implantation associated with a female nursing existing offspring. In some mammals, suckling helps maintain the conditions that delay implantation.
Hilda Bruce: A British zoologist known for discovering the pregnancy-blocking effect later named after her. Her research showed that sensory cues can alter the timing and outcome of early pregnancy.
Maternal effects: Influences of a parent’s condition or environment on offspring traits beyond inherited DNA sequence. Maternal physiology and environmental cues can help determine whether diapause persists or ends.
Progesterone: A steroid hormone involved in reproductive cycles and the maintenance of pregnancy. Changes in progesterone signaling can help regulate uterine conditions during diapause.
Seasonal reproduction: Reproductive timing that varies predictably with seasonal environmental conditions. Diapause can align birth or hatching with periods favorable for offspring.

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