Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination: Current Practices Threaten Conservation of Sea Turtles

Temperature determines the sex of hatchling green turtles (Chelonia mydas) produced from eggs incubated in a beach hatchery under different temperature regimes. Cold and cool nests (< 28°C) produced almost no females (0 to 10 percent) and warm, thermostable nests (> 29.5° C) produced almost al...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1982-06, Vol.216 (4551), p.1245-1247
Main Authors: Morreale, Stephen J., Ruiz, Georgita J., Spotila, James R., Standora, Edward A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal nesting
Animals
Beaches
Benzodiazepines
Eggs
Female animals
Flexors
Male animals
Receptors
Sea turtles
Sex Chromosomes - ultrastructure
Sex determination
Sex Determination Analysis
Sex Ratio
Temperature
Turtles - physiology
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Summary:Temperature determines the sex of hatchling green turtles (Chelonia mydas) produced from eggs incubated in a beach hatchery under different temperature regimes. Cold and cool nests (< 28°C) produced almost no females (0 to 10 percent) and warm, thermostable nests (> 29.5° C) produced almost all females (95 to 100 percent). A few intersex hatchlings were produced at lower temperatures. Since little concern is given to temperatures at which sea turtle eggs are incubated in artificial hatcheries, present conservation practices may be producing all male, all female, or even intersex hatchlings.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.7079758