Title: The Influence of Natural Incubation Environments on the Phenotypic Traits of Hatchling Lizards
Abstract: EcologyVolume 78, Issue 8 p. 2559-2568 Article THE INFLUENCE OF NATURAL INCUBATION ENVIRONMENTS ON THE PHENOTYPIC TRAITS OF HATCHLING LIZARDS Richard Shine, Richard Shine School of Biological Sciences A08 and Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorMelanie J. Elphick, Melanie J. Elphick School of Biological Sciences A08 and Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorPeter S. Harlow, Peter S. Harlow School of Biological Sciences A08 and Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author Richard Shine, Richard Shine School of Biological Sciences A08 and Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorMelanie J. Elphick, Melanie J. Elphick School of Biological Sciences A08 and Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorPeter S. Harlow, Peter S. Harlow School of Biological Sciences A08 and Institute of Wildlife Research, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 December 1997 https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[2559:TIONIE]2.0.CO;2Citations: 164Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Laboratory studies have shown that incubation environments can affect morphological and behavioral phenotypes of hatchling lizards, but the relevance of this result to natural populations remains unclear. We monitored thermal regimes during the incubation period in 19 natural nests of scincid lizards (Bassiana duperreyi) in montane southeastern Australia, and experimentally translocated eggs among nests to remove the confounding of "nest of origin" (including genetic) factors with incubation conditions. We removed the eggs from the field shortly before hatching, and assessed the hatchlings' phenotypes (body size, shape, locomotor performance). Most of the effects seen after laboratory incubation were also seen after incubation in natural nests. Hatchling phenotypes were affected by incubation conditions as well as by "nest of origin" factors and an interaction between the two. Both the mean and the variance of incubation temperatures affected hatchling phenotypes, with male and female hatchlings differing in their norms of reaction. We found no evidence that a female's choice of nest site depends on the specific norms of reaction of her own offspring. Overall, incubation temperatures induced approximately half as much variance in hatchling phenotypes as did "nest-of-origin" effects. We conclude that incubation-induced phenotypic plasticity in hatchling reptiles may be important in the natural environment, as well as in the laboratory. Citing Literature Volume78, Issue8December 1997Pages 2559-2568 RelatedInformation
Publication Year: 1997
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 15
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