DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Phenotypic plasticity, sexual size dimorphism and Rensch's rule in freshwater turtles.

身体大小影响动物的繁殖力，生存，因此，人口成功，特别是在冷血脊椎动物，如海龟。身体大小可以在性别之间（性别大小二态性或SSD）和纬度之间存在差异，但脊椎动物中这种差异的确切原因和后果仍然不清楚。该项目将探讨（1）海龟SSD的广泛地理和分类模式，以及（2）环境对北美和南美两种表现出对比SSD（雄性较大与雌性较大SSD）的海龟物种生长的影响。它将促进我们对塑料对环境条件（温度，食物供应的质量和数量）的重要性的理解，以塑造物种内和跨物种的SSD模式，并与纬度。该项目通过培训一名哥伦比亚博士生，并通过与委内瑞拉非政府组织（FUDECI）合作，加强了国际支助股的国际影响力。该项目对濒危未充分研究的海龟的保护先行计划有影响，并将建立当地的研究能力。来自国际空间大学科学和工程领域妇女荣誉和方案的少数民族女学生继续参与这一项目，有助于将研究与教育相结合，并加强代表性不足的群体对科学的参与。

Body size influences animal fecundity, survival, and consequently, population success, particularly in cold-blooded vertebrates such as turtles. Body size can differ between sexes (sexual size dimorphism or SSD) and with latitude, but the exact causes and consequences of such differences in vertebrates remain obscure. This project will explore (1) broad-scale geographic and taxonomic patterns of SSD in turtles and (2) environmental effects on the growth of two turtle species exhibiting contrasting SSD (male-larger versus female-larger SSD) in North and South America. It will advance our understanding of the importance of plastic responses to environmental conditions (temperature, quality and quantity of food availability) in shaping SSD patterns within and across species, and with latitude. This project enhances ISU's international dimension though the training of a Colombian PhD student, and through the collaboration with a Venezuelan NGO (FUDECI). This project has implications for the conservation headstart programs of endangered understudied turtles, and it will build local research capacity. The continued participation of female minority students from the Honors and the Program for Women in Science and Engineering at ISU in this project helps integrating research and education, and enhances the participation of underrepresented groups in science.