Seasonal cycles in testicular activity, gonadotropin, and thyroxine in the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, under natural conditions
Plasma levels of testosterone (T), thyroxine (T4) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured in a field population of the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, in Michigan. All three hormones showed pronounced seasonality; plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) remained nondetectable. Plasma T and FSH concentrations were highly correlated and exhibited biphasic cycles with peaks in spring and fall, […]
Behavioural plasticity may compensate for climate change in a long-lived reptile with temperature-dependent sex determination
How are organisms responding to climate change? The rapidity with which climate is changing suggests that, in species with long generation times, adaptive evolution may be too slow to keep pace with climate change, and that alternative mechanisms, such as behavioural plasticity, may be necessary for population persistence. Species with temperature-dependent sex determination may be […]