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NONPIGMENTED VERSUS PIGMENTED: HEALTH VARIABLES AND GENETICS OF ALBINO FLORIDA GREEN TURTLE (CHELONIA MYDAS) HATCHLINGS COMPARED WITH NORMALLY PIGMENTED HATCHLINGS FROM THE SAME CLUTCH
Title
NONPIGMENTED VERSUS PIGMENTED: HEALTH VARIABLES AND GENETICS OF ALBINO FLORIDA GREEN TURTLE (CHELONIA MYDAS) HATCHLINGS COMPARED WITH NORMALLY PIGMENTED HATCHLINGS FROM THE SAME CLUTCH.
Creator
Justin R. Perrault, Jacob A. Lasala, Charles A. Manire, Christina M. Coppenrath, Annie Page-Karjian, Alyssa Blew, Nicole I. Stacy
Abstract/Description
At the time of hatchling emergence from a nest laid on Juno Beach, Florida, US, by a normally pigmented green turtle (Chelonia mydas), 23 albino hatchlings and 75 normally pigmented hatchlings were observed. This condition is rarely seen in sea turtles, and little is known about blood analytes and genetics of albino wildlife to date. Therefore, the objective of our study was to assess and compare morphometric measurements (mass, minimum straight carapace length, body condition index),...
Show moreAt the time of hatchling emergence from a nest laid on Juno Beach, Florida, US, by a normally pigmented green turtle (Chelonia mydas), 23 albino hatchlings and 75 normally pigmented hatchlings were observed. This condition is rarely seen in sea turtles, and little is known about blood analytes and genetics of albino wildlife to date. Therefore, the objective of our study was to assess and compare morphometric measurements (mass, minimum straight carapace length, body condition index), carapacial scute anomalies, a suite of hematologic and plasma biochemical analytes, and two glucose analysis methodologies (glucometer and dry chemistry analysis) in albino (n¼20) versus normally pigmented (n¼24) hatchlings from this nest. Genetic analyses were completed to identify paternal contributions of hatchlings and to test Mendelian inheritance assumptions. Although morphometric measurements, scute anomalies, and leukocyte morphology were similar between albino and normally pigmented hatchlings, several differences were observed in blood analyte data: immature erythrocytes, packed cell volume, heterophil:lymphocyte ratio, and glucose concentrations (by both methodologies) were significantly higher, whereas absolute immature heterophils, absolute lymphocytes, number of erythrocyte micronuclei, sodium, and chloride were significantly lower in albino hatchlings compared with normally pigmented hatchlings. Considerations for these differences include a stress response from sampling (e.g., timing of procedures or possibly from photosensitivity or reduced visual acuity in albinos) and different osmoregulation, which may reflect physiologic variations or stress. There was a small positive bias (0.10 mmol/L) with glucose by glucometer, similar to reports in other sea turtle species and confirming its suitability for use in hatchlings. All albino hatchlings analyzed (n¼10) were from the same father, but the normally pigmented hatchlings (n¼24) were from two other fathers. These findings provide insight into the physiology and genetics of albinism in sea turtles. Key words: Biochemistry, genotype, glucose, hematology, leucism, method comparison, multiple paternity, sea turtle.
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Date Issued
2022
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUIR000549
Format
Document (PDF)
Identifying mating systems of imperiled marine turtles nesting in southern Florida through exclusion analysis to estimate the breeding sex ratio
Title
Identifying mating systems of imperiled marine turtles nesting in southern Florida through exclusion analysis to estimate the breeding sex ratio.
Creator
Lasala, Jacob A., Wyneken, Jeanette, Hughes, Colin, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
The reproductive behavior of migratory organisms is difficult to characterize as the mating behavior can be difficult to observe. For some species, one sex can be readily observable, but the other may remain hidden, confounding attempts to assess population demographics. For such species, it can be difficult to determine the sex ratio of the population. Without accurate accounts of the numbers of males and females, conservation methods may be insufficient and their performance unclear....
Show moreThe reproductive behavior of migratory organisms is difficult to characterize as the mating behavior can be difficult to observe. For some species, one sex can be readily observable, but the other may remain hidden, confounding attempts to assess population demographics. For such species, it can be difficult to determine the sex ratio of the population. Without accurate accounts of the numbers of males and females, conservation methods may be insufficient and their performance unclear. Alternative methods of measuring sex ratios therefore must be used to estimate the number of individuals and assess breeding behavior. Here I identified breeding sex ratios (BSR) measured using paternity analysis of offspring through exclusion analysis to quantify the numbers of males contributing. Here I discuss the mating behavior of three species of marine turtle that nest in southern Florida: the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) at three beaches (Boca Raton, Juno Beach, and Sanibel Island) from 2013-2017; over 400 nesting females were identified and genotyped and almost 7,000 hatchlings were collected and genotyped. Females from all three species successfully mated with more than one male in all years analyzed demonstrating multiple paternity of clutches. For loggerheads, many male genotypes were identified, suggesting that females likely mate en route to their nesting grounds, inducing a male-biased BSR. Examination of females that were sampled more than once per season (repeats), evidence of sperm storage was found for all nests and some turtles might mate in between nesting events. Leatherback females displayed a higher rate of multiple paternity than was previously published for other Caribbean nesting sites; I hypothesize that this result may be due to a mainland nesting beach effect. The leatherback BSR over all years was approximately 1:1, and one male was identified fathering than two different females’ nests (polygyny). For green turtles, multiple paternity was found and there was evidence of polygyny. Across all three species, evidence for indirect benefits of mating multiply (hatching success or larger hatchlings) was weak or not supported. Together, the four studies contribute to the overall body of reproductive behavior studies.
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Date Issued
2018
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013161
Subject Headings
Sea turtles--Florida, Mating behavior, Sex ratio
Format
Document (PDF)