Embryonic diapause
Delayed implantation or embryonic diapause is a reproductive strategy used by approximately 100 different mammals in seven or eight different orders. In embryonic diapause, the embryo (blastocyst) does not immediately implant in the uterus after sexual reproduction has created the zygote, but is maintained in a state of dormancy. Little to no development takes place while the embryo remains unattached to the uterine wall. As a result, the normal gestation period is extended for a species-specific period of time. While much of the molecular regulation involved in activating dormant blastocysts has been characterized, little is still known about entry into diapause, and the conditions which enable a blastocyst to remain dormant.