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Incubation environment affects phenotype of naturally incubated green turtle hatchlings

2003; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 83; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0025315403008464h

1469-7769

Fiona Glen, Annette C. Broderick, Brendan J. Godley, Graeme C. Hays,

Bird parasitology and diseases

A comparison of body size and flipper size was carried out on green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) hatchlings produced from natural nests at two beaches on Ascension Island, South Atlantic and one beach in northern Cyprus in the Mediterranean (N=18 nests; N=180 hatchlings). Hatchlings from Ascension Island were significantly larger and heavier than hatchlings in Cyprus, a likely consequence of maternal size effects. Incubation temperature appeared to influence body size of hatchlings on Ascension Island with higher temperatures producing smaller hatchlings. Both hind and fore-flipper area scaled positively with body size. In proportion to body size, hind-flipper area appears relatively consistent among the Atlantic populations but is smaller than hatchlings measured in Hawaii.