ReviewMolecular reproduction and development2026
Sex Determination in Sponges.
Review in Molecular reproduction and development, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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2 authors.
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Abstract
Sex determination in Porifera remains one of the least understood aspects of early metazoan biology despite the group's key phylogenetic position. Sponges display exceptional diversity in sexual systems-ranging from stable gonochorism to sequential hermaphroditism and sex reversal-yet lack morphological dimorphism and any discrete gonadal structures, blurring the boundary between sex determination and gametogenesis. Here we synthesize current knowledge on sexual systems, environmental and genetic influences on sexual fate, and the evolutionary origins of sexual systems in sponges. Evidence for environmental modulation is substantial, particularly temperature-driven shifts in sex ratios and reproductive timing, but environmental sex determination remains unsupported by causal evidence yet. Conversely, conserved molecular components of metazoan sex-determining pathways, such as fem-1 and Dmrt genes, are present in several sponge lineages, though their functional roles remain unresolved. We also evaluate the hypothesis that microbial symbionts contribute to sexual allocation by buffering the energetic costs of gametogenesis. Overall, sponges exhibit an evolutionarily labile system in which sexual fate may emerge from the interaction of conserved genetic modules, environmental cues, and physiological constraints. Clarifying these mechanisms will be essential for understanding the origins of sex determination in Metazoa and for predicting reproductive resilience under environmental change.
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