Abstract: Follicular development and atresia are the hot spots in the field of mammalian reproduction. Follicular development and atresia are closely related to reproductive hormones, oxidative stress and apoptotic proteins, etc. In different animals, the role and mechanism of melatonin in the ovarian development have been studied extensively. Melatonin can not only regulate gonadotropin by acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis, but also regulate reproductive function of animals by exerting antioxidant and anti-apoptotic abilities. In this paper, the progress of melatonin in promoting animal follicle development and reducing follicular atresia were reviewed, which was aim to provide a theoretical basis for improving animal reproductive performance by using melatonin.