Sex determination in juvenile Caretta caretta is difficult because of the lack of heteromorphic sex chromosome and the absence of dimorphic secondary traits. Up till now the most reliable method of gender determination is laparoscopy, that is an invasive and time consuming surgical technique. Testosterone or vitellogenin concentration are proposed as alternative methods but are still not satisfactory. We tried to predict sex of juvenile loggerhead during winter combining the evaluation of body size with the concentration of sexual steroid hormones and vitellogenin. Our results didn’t evidence any correlation between the variables analyzed confirming the general idea of laparoscopy as essential technique in juvenile Caretta caretta sex determination during winter.
Cretta caretta: relationship between body size and sexual hormones
2012-01-01
Abstract
Sex determination in juvenile Caretta caretta is difficult because of the lack of heteromorphic sex chromosome and the absence of dimorphic secondary traits. Up till now the most reliable method of gender determination is laparoscopy, that is an invasive and time consuming surgical technique. Testosterone or vitellogenin concentration are proposed as alternative methods but are still not satisfactory. We tried to predict sex of juvenile loggerhead during winter combining the evaluation of body size with the concentration of sexual steroid hormones and vitellogenin. Our results didn’t evidence any correlation between the variables analyzed confirming the general idea of laparoscopy as essential technique in juvenile Caretta caretta sex determination during winter.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
