Population Biology of Environmental Gender-Determination in Chrysemys picta

9629529对于大多数动物来说，性别是由染色体决定的。在几组脊椎动物中，性别是由胚胎发育过程中经历的温度决定的。这个项目将在一个自然种群中研究依赖温度的性别决定(TSD)的生物学。它将考虑蛋的大小、筑巢地点的选择和捕食如何影响后代的存活和性别比例。将每年跟踪筑巢的雌鸟，以研究筑巢地点的一致性。这个项目将有助于解释为什么有些动物的性别是由温度决定的，而不是由染色体决定的。这扩大了对自然人口生育率和性别比的影响因素的理解。这个项目将展示栖息地的利用和捕食者如何影响患有TSD的动物的种群动态。许多这样的物种濒临灭绝，这些信息可以帮助保护它们。

9629529 Janzen For most animals gender is determined by the chromosomes. In several groups of vertebrate animals gender is determined by the temperature experienced during embryonic development. This project will investigate the biology of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in a natural population of the turtle Chrysemys picta. It will consider how egg size, nest-site selection, and predation affect offspring survival and sex ratio. Nesting females will be followed from year to year to study nest-site consistency. This project will help explain why some groups of animals have their gender determined by temperature rather than by chromosomes. This extends understanding of what affects fertility and sex ratio in natural populations. This project will show how habitat use and predators affect population dynamics in animals with TSD. Many such species are endangered and this information can help their conservation.