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1. Maternal size and body condition determine the amount of post-fertilization maternal provisioning in matrotrophic fish

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4542  

   Hagmayer, Andres; Furness, Andrew I; Reznick, David N; Pollux, Bart J (December 2018, Ecology and evolution)
2. A mathematical model of maternal vascular growth and remodeling and changes in maternal hemodynamics in uncomplicated pregnancy

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-021-01555-0  

   Gleason, Rudolph L.; Sedaghati, Farbod (April 2022, Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology)
3. An alternative model for maternal mtDNA inheritance

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02149-7  

   Alexeyev, Mikhail; Bai, Yidong (March 2025, Nature Genetics)
4. Maternal age at birth and daughter’s fecundability

   https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deab057  

   Basso, Olga; Willis, Sydney K; Hatch, Elizabeth E; Mikkelsen, Ellen M; Rothman, Kenneth J; Wise, Lauren A (April 2021, Human Reproduction)

   Abstract STUDY QUESTION Do daughters of older mothers have lower fecundability? SUMMARY ANSWER In this cohort study of North American pregnancy planners, there was virtually no association between maternal age ≥35 years and daughters’ fecundability. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Despite suggestive evidence that daughters of older mothers may have lower fertility, only three retrospective studies have examined the association between maternal age and daughter’s fecundability. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Prospective cohort study of 6689 pregnancy planners enrolled between March 2016 and January 2020. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) is an ongoing pre-conception cohort study of pregnancy planners (age, 21-45 years) from the USA and Canada. We estimated fecundability ratios (FR) for maternal age at the participant’s birth using multivariable proportional probabilities regression models. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Daughters of mothers ≥30 years were less likely to have previous pregnancies (or pregnancy attempts) or risk factors for infertility, although they were more likely to report that their mother had experienced problems conceiving. The proportion of participants with prior unplanned pregnancies, a birth before age 21, ≥3 cycles of attempt at study entry or no follow-up was greater among daughters of mothers <25 years. Compared with maternal age 25–29 years, FRs (95% CI) for maternal age <20, 20–24, 30–34, and ≥35 were 0.72 (0.61, 0.84), 0.92 (0.85, 1.00), 1.08 (1.00, 1.17), and 1.00 (0.89, 1.12), respectively. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Although the examined covariates did not meaningfully affect the associations, we had limited information on the participants’ mother. Differences by maternal age in reproductive history, infertility risk factors and loss to follow-up suggest that selection bias may partly explain our results. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our finding that maternal age 35 years or older was not associated with daughter’s fecundability is reassuring, considering the trend towards delayed childbirth. However, having been born to a young mother may be a marker of low fecundability among pregnancy planners. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) PRESTO was funded by NICHD Grants (R21-HD072326 and R01-HD086742) and has received in-kind donations from Swiss Precision Diagnostics, FertilityFriend.com, Kindara.com, and Sandstone Diagnostics. Dr Wise is a fibroid consultant for AbbVie, Inc. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER n/a 

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5. The Integrative Life History of Maternal Effects

   https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icae117  

   Marks, Jamie R; Lailvaux, Simon P (July 2024, Integrative And Comparative Biology)

   Synopsis Context-dependent allocation of resources drives trade-offs among fitness-related traits and other phenotypes to which those traits are linked. In addition, the amount and type of acquired resources can also affect the phenotypes of other organisms through indirect genetic effects, as exemplified by the maternal provisioning of offspring. Despite a large literature on maternal effects, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the extent to which mothers might affect the phenotypes of their offspring, as well as the various mechanisms by which they do so, particularly with regard to many functional traits that are key determinants of survival and reproduction. Our goals in this paper are to review the various approaches to measuring and understanding maternal effects and to highlight some promising avenues for integration of maternal effects with some other key areas of evolutionary ecology. We focus especially on nutritional geometry; maternal age; and traits proximate to fitness such as whole-organism performance. Finally, we discuss the logistic and practical limits of quantifying these effects in many animal systems and emphasize the value of integrative approaches in understanding the mechanisms underlying maternal influence on offspring phenotypes. 

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