In recent decades, endocrinologists have increasingly adopted evolutionary methods and perspectives to characterize the evolution of the vertebrate endocrine system and leverage it as a model for developing and testing evolutionary theories. This review summarizes recent research on sex steroids (androgens and estrogens) to illustrate three ways in which a detailed understanding of the molecular and cellular architecture of hormonally mediated gene expression can enhance our understanding of general evolutionary principles. By virtue of their massively pleiotropic effects on the expression of genes and phenotypes, sex steroids and their receptors can (1) structure the patterns of phenotypic variance and covariance that are available to natural selection, (2) alter the underlying genetic correlations that determine a population's evolutionary response to selection, and (3) facilitate evolutionary transitions in fitness-related phenotypes via subtle regulatory shifts in underlying tissues and genes. These principles are illustrated by the author's research on testosterone and sexual dimorphism in lizards, and by recent examples drawn from other vertebrate systems. Mechanistically, these examples call attention to the importance of evolutionary changes in (1) androgen- and estrogen-mediated gene expression, (2) androgen and estrogen receptor expression, and (3) the distribution of androgen and estrogen response elements in target genes throughout the genome. A central theme to emerge from this review is that the rapidly increasing availability of genomic and transcriptomic data from non-model organisms places evolutionary endocrinologist in an excellent position to address the hormonal regulation of the key evolutionary interface between genes and phenotypes.

中文翻译：

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性类固醇作为表型整合，遗传相关性和进化过渡的媒介。

在最近的几十年中，内分泌学家越来越多地采用进化方法和观点来表征脊椎动物内分泌系统的进化，并将其作为发展和检验进化理论的模型。这篇综述总结了对性类固醇（雄激素和雌激素）的最新研究，以阐明三种途径，通过这些途径对激素介导的基因表达的分子和细胞结构的详细了解可以增强我们对一般进化原理的理解。由于它们对基因和表型的表达具有巨大的多效性，性类固醇及其受体可以（1）构建可用于自然选择的表型方差和协方差的模式，（2）改变确定人口' 对选择的进化反应，以及（3）通过基础组织和基因的细微调节变化促进适应性相关表型的进化转变。作者对蜥蜴的睾丸激素和性二态性的研究以及从其他脊椎动物系统获得的最新实例说明了这些原理。从机理上讲，这些例子提醒人们注意（1）雄激素和雌激素介导的基因表达，（2）雄激素和雌激素受体表达以及（3）雄激素和雌激素反应元件在整个靶基因中的分布的进化变化的重要性基因组。