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Sex ratio variation and sex determination in the mallee dragon, Ctenophorus fordi

Uller, Tobias LU ; Odierna, Gaetano and Olsson, Mats (2008) In Integrative Zoology 3(3). p.157-165
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that many Australian agamids show temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) with variation in sex determining mechanisms among closely related taxa. However, as shown in other vertebrates, sex ratios can also be influenced by genetic or phenotypic differences among females in their propensity to produce sons or daughters, and these influences might confound any thermal effects of incubation per se. To address these issues, we investigated the determinants of sex ratios in the mallee dragon Ctenophorus fordi, together with a detailed analysis of karyotypes. There was no detectable variation in sex ratios arising from variation among females, clutches or incubation temperatures, which might indicate genetic sex... (More)
Recent evidence suggests that many Australian agamids show temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) with variation in sex determining mechanisms among closely related taxa. However, as shown in other vertebrates, sex ratios can also be influenced by genetic or phenotypic differences among females in their propensity to produce sons or daughters, and these influences might confound any thermal effects of incubation per se. To address these issues, we investigated the determinants of sex ratios in the mallee dragon Ctenophorus fordi, together with a detailed analysis of karyotypes. There was no detectable variation in sex ratios arising from variation among females, clutches or incubation temperatures, which might indicate genetic sex determination for this species. However, there was no evidence of cytologically distinct sex chromosomes using standard banding techniques. The sex ratio pattern in C. fordi strongly contrasts with the results for the congener Ctenophorus pictus, where sex ratios show variation among females. Thus, Australian agamids offer promising opportunities to address fundamental issues in sex ratio biology. (Less)
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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Integrative Zoology
volume
3
issue
3
pages
157 - 165
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN
1749-4877
DOI
10.1111/j.1749-4877.2008.00109.x
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
ca6ab92a-b5ed-43f2-abe1-c795e72f9adb (old id 4731571)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:23:58
date last changed
2020-06-22 15:32:34
@article{ca6ab92a-b5ed-43f2-abe1-c795e72f9adb,
  abstract     = {{Recent evidence suggests that many Australian agamids show temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) with variation in sex determining mechanisms among closely related taxa. However, as shown in other vertebrates, sex ratios can also be influenced by genetic or phenotypic differences among females in their propensity to produce sons or daughters, and these influences might confound any thermal effects of incubation per se. To address these issues, we investigated the determinants of sex ratios in the mallee dragon Ctenophorus fordi, together with a detailed analysis of karyotypes. There was no detectable variation in sex ratios arising from variation among females, clutches or incubation temperatures, which might indicate genetic sex determination for this species. However, there was no evidence of cytologically distinct sex chromosomes using standard banding techniques. The sex ratio pattern in C. fordi strongly contrasts with the results for the congener Ctenophorus pictus, where sex ratios show variation among females. Thus, Australian agamids offer promising opportunities to address fundamental issues in sex ratio biology.}},
  author       = {{Uller, Tobias and Odierna, Gaetano and Olsson, Mats}},
  issn         = {{1749-4877}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{157--165}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Integrative Zoology}},
  title        = {{Sex ratio variation and sex determination in the mallee dragon, Ctenophorus fordi}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-4877.2008.00109.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1749-4877.2008.00109.x}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}