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Fitness effects of the timing of hatching may drive the evolution of temperature-dependent sex determination in short-lived lizards

Warner, Daniel ; Uller, Tobias LU and Shine, Richard (2009) In Evolutionary Ecology 23(2). p.281-294
Abstract
In several species of short-lived Australian agamid lizards, an individual's sex is determined by the nest temperatures encountered during incubation. The adaptive significance of such systems remains unclear. Here, we explore the hypothesis that (1) the optimal timing of hatching differs between the sexes, and thus (2) temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) enhances maternal and offspring fitness by generating seasonal shifts in offspring sex ratios. Our model predicts that TSD can indeed enhance maternal fitness returns in short-lived lizards if (1) male-male competition is intense, thus reducing mating success of newly-matured males (but not females), and (2) the nesting season is prolonged, such that seasonal effects become... (More)
In several species of short-lived Australian agamid lizards, an individual's sex is determined by the nest temperatures encountered during incubation. The adaptive significance of such systems remains unclear. Here, we explore the hypothesis that (1) the optimal timing of hatching differs between the sexes, and thus (2) temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) enhances maternal and offspring fitness by generating seasonal shifts in offspring sex ratios. Our model predicts that TSD can indeed enhance maternal fitness returns in short-lived lizards if (1) male-male competition is intense, thus reducing mating success of newly-matured males (but not females), and (2) the nesting season is prolonged, such that seasonal effects become significant. Available data on the distribution of TSD in Australian agamid lizards broadly support these predictions. Because both the level of male-male competition and the length of nesting season can vary at small spatial and temporal scales, selective forces on sex-determining mechanisms also should vary. Hence, our model predicts extensive small-scale (intraspecific) variation in sex-determining systems within agamid lizards, as well as among species. (Less)
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Evolutionary Ecology
volume
23
issue
2
pages
281 - 294
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:60449111335
ISSN
1573-8477
DOI
10.1007/s10682-007-9222-4
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
5ebbd582-3222-42ef-83c1-eacb1038d031 (old id 4739193)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:31:11
date last changed
2022-01-29 20:26:09
@article{5ebbd582-3222-42ef-83c1-eacb1038d031,
  abstract     = {{In several species of short-lived Australian agamid lizards, an individual's sex is determined by the nest temperatures encountered during incubation. The adaptive significance of such systems remains unclear. Here, we explore the hypothesis that (1) the optimal timing of hatching differs between the sexes, and thus (2) temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) enhances maternal and offspring fitness by generating seasonal shifts in offspring sex ratios. Our model predicts that TSD can indeed enhance maternal fitness returns in short-lived lizards if (1) male-male competition is intense, thus reducing mating success of newly-matured males (but not females), and (2) the nesting season is prolonged, such that seasonal effects become significant. Available data on the distribution of TSD in Australian agamid lizards broadly support these predictions. Because both the level of male-male competition and the length of nesting season can vary at small spatial and temporal scales, selective forces on sex-determining mechanisms also should vary. Hence, our model predicts extensive small-scale (intraspecific) variation in sex-determining systems within agamid lizards, as well as among species.}},
  author       = {{Warner, Daniel and Uller, Tobias and Shine, Richard}},
  issn         = {{1573-8477}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{281--294}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Evolutionary Ecology}},
  title        = {{Fitness effects of the timing of hatching may drive the evolution of temperature-dependent sex determination in short-lived lizards}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10682-007-9222-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10682-007-9222-4}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}