Kathleen M. Munley

University of Houston | U of H, UH · Department of Psychology

Teleost fishes have emerged as tractable models for studying the neuroendocrine regulation of social behavior via molecular genetic techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Moreover, teleosts provide an opportunity to investigate the evolution of steroid receptors and their functions, as species within this lineage possess novel steroid recept...

Many animals display marked changes in physiology and behavior on a seasonal timescale, including non-reproductive social behaviors (e.g., aggression). Previous studies from our lab suggest that the pineal hormone melatonin acts via steroid hormones to regulate seasonal aggression in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), a species in which both ma...

Many animals live in highly social environments, in which individuals must behave in a way that enables them to survive and live harmoniously among conspecifics. Dominance hierarchies are typical among social species and are essential for determining and preserving stability within social groups. Although there is considerable evidence that sex ste...

Coordinating physiological and behavioural processes across the annual cycle is essential in enabling individuals to maximize fitness. While the mechanisms underlying seasonal reproduction and its associated behaviours are well characterized, fewer studies have examined the hormonal basis of non-reproductive social behaviours (e.g. aggression) on a...

Sex is ubiquitous and variable throughout the animal kingdom. Historically, scientists have used reductionist methodologies that rely on a priori sex categorizations, in which two discrete sexes are inextricably linked with gamete type. However, this binarized operationalization does not adequately reflect the diversity of sex observed in nature. T...

Many animals show pronounced changes in physiology and behavior across the annual cycle, and these adaptations enable individuals to prioritize investing in the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying reproduction and/or survival based on the time of year. While prior research has offered valuable insight into how seasonal variation in neuroendocrine...

Individuals of virtually all vertebrate species are exposed to annual fluctuations in the deterioration and renewal of their environments. As such, organisms have evolved to restrict energetically expensive processes and activities to a specific time of the year. Thus, the precise timing of physiology and behavior is critical for individual reprodu...

Many animals exhibit pronounced changes in physiology and behavior on a seasonal basis, and these adaptations have evolved to promote survival and reproductive success. While the neuroendocrine pathways mediating seasonal reproduction are well-studied, far less is known about the mechanisms underlying seasonal changes in social behavior, particular...

The Fundulus genus of killifish includes species that inhabit marshes along the U.S. Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, but differ in their ability to rapidly adjust to fluctuations in salinity. Previous work suggests that euryhaline killifish stimulate polyamine biosynthesis and accumulate putrescine in the gills during acute hypoosmotic chall...

Aggression is a complex social behaviour that allows individuals to compete for access to limited resources (eg, mates, food and territories). Excessive or inappropriate aggression, however, has become problematic in modern societies, and current treatments are largely ineffective. Although previous work in mammals suggests that aggressive behaviou...

Many animal species exhibit year‐round aggression, a behavior that allows individuals to compete for limited resources in their environment (e.g., food and mates). Interestingly, this high degree of territoriality persists during the non‐breeding season, despite low levels of circulating gonadal steroids [i.e., testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2)]....

Seasonally breeding animals undergo shifts in physiology and behavior in response to changes in photoperiod (day length). Interestingly, some species, such as Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), are more aggressive during the short-day photoperiods (SDs) of the non-breeding season, despite gonadal regression. While our previous data suggest that...

Some seasonally-breeding animals are more aggressive during the short, "winter-like" days (SD) of the non-breeding season, despite gonadal regression and reduced circulating androgen levels. While the mechanisms underlying SD increases in aggression are not well understood, previous work from our lab suggests that pineal melatonin (MEL) and the adr...

Aggression is an essential social behavior that promotes survival and reproductive fitness across animal systems. While research on the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying this complex behavior has traditionally focused on the classic neuroendocrine model, in which circulating gonadal steroids are transported to the brain and directly mediate neur...

Aggression is displayed by virtually all animals and mediates the acquisition of limited valuable resources. In breeding contexts, males compete for access to mates, and aggression is promoted by gonadal testosterone. Aggression also occurs in non-breeding contexts, when the gonads are regressed and testosterone is non-detectable in the blood. In s...

Low tide emersion of intertidal fauna in the inside passage from Puget Sound, WA to Skagway, AK produces more extreme emersion temperatures than on the outer continental coastline because the timing of low tides increases the potential for summer high temperatures and winter low temperatures. This study documents seasonal changes in water/aerial te...

Most marine teleosts defend blood pH during high CO2 exposure by sustaining elevated levels of HCO3- in body fluids. In contrast to the gill, where measures are taken to achieve net base retention, elevated CO2 leads to base loss in the intestine of marine teleosts studied to date. This loss is thought to occur through transport pathways previously...