Oxytocin (OT), a nonapeptide signaling molecule originating from an ancestral peptide,
appears in different variants across all vertebrate and several invertebrate species.
Throughout animal evolution, neuropeptidergic signaling has been adapted by organisms
for regulating response to rapidly changing environments. The family of OT-like molecules
affects both peripheral tissues implicated in reproduction, homeostasis, and energy balance,
as well as neuromodulation of social behavior, stress regulation, and associative learning in …