Shell shape does not accurately predict self-righting ability in hatchling freshwater turtles
Shell shape does not accurately predict self-righting ability in hatchling freshwater turtles
复制标题
DOI：
10.1038/s41598-024-54191-w
复制
发表时间：
2024-02-28
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Codd，Jonathan R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
van Casteren，Adam;Sellers，William I.;Codd，Jonathan R.
扁平的水动力壳可能代表了适应水生生活方式和圆形壳的不稳定性之间的进化权衡，被认为有利于自我恢复。权衡往往会导致妥协，尤其是当淡水龟的甲壳较扁平时，必须自我纠正以避免倒转的负面影响。从理论上讲，与圆形甲壳的海龟相比，这些海龟会投入更多的生物力学努力来成功且及时地自我恢复。努力的增加使这些幼体处于危险的境地。容易发生倒转和捕食，并且贝壳似乎不适应自我恢复的行为。在这里，我们研究了三种形态不同的淡水龟（Apalone spinifera、Chelydra serpentina 和 Trachemys scripta scripta）的幼体自我扶正性能，它们栖息在相似的环境生态位中。我们证明，这些刚孵化的海龟能够快速自我恢复，并且与成年海龟相比，使用的生物力学作用要少得多。尽管贝壳形态存在差异，但三个物种之间自我恢复的能量效率仍然非常低且一致。我们的结果混淆了基于壳形状指标的自恢复能力的理论预测，并表明必须考虑其他形态特征，如颈部或尾部形态和壳材料特性，以更好地理解睾丸自恢复的生物力学细微差别。
Flat hydrodynamic shells likely represent an evolutionary trade-off between adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle and the instability of more rounded shells, thought beneficial for self-righting. Trade-offs often result in compromises, this is particularly true when freshwater turtles, with flatter shells, must self-right to avoid the negative effects of inverting. These turtles, theoretically, invest more biomechanical effort to achieve successful and timely self-righting when compared to turtles with rounded carapaces. This increase in effort places these hatchlings in a precarious position; prone to inversion and predation and with shells seemingly maladapted to the act of self-righting. Here, we examine hatchling self-righting performance in three morphologically distinct freshwater turtle species (Apalone spinifera,Chelydra serpentinaandTrachemys scripta scripta) that inhabit similar environmental niches. We demonstrate that these hatchlings were capable of rapid self-righting and used considerably less biomechanical effort relative to adult turtles. Despite differences in shell morphology the energetic efficiency of self-righting remained remarkably low and uniform between the three species. Our results confound theoretical predictions of self-righting ability based on shell shape metrics and indicate that other morphological characteristics like neck or tail morphology and shell material properties must be considered to better understand the biomechanical nuances of Testudine self-righting.