Article
Sex determination in reptiles: summary of effects of constant temperatures of incubation on sex ratios of offspring
Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service
(1990)
Abstract
The phenomenon of environmental sex determination (ESD) in reptiles has been highly
publicized in recent years. However, the underlymg mechamsm(s) that control thts process are
still poorly known. Additionally, the distribution of ESD within the Reptilia is poorly known,
with only 93 of the approximately 6500 species of extant reptiles having been examined for the
presence of ESD (Janzen and Paukstis, Quart. Rev. Bioi.).
This paper provides a summary of much of the research conducted on ESD in reptiles from
laboratory studies that have employed constant temperatures of incubation (Table 1 ). Table 1 is an
extension of and appendix to a review article on ESD in reptiles (Janzen and Paukstis, Quart. Rev.
Bioi.). As a result of the recent proliferation of publications concerning various aspects of ESD in
reptiles, this table originated as a tool to provide an overview of laboratory results that were
currently available. As the data accumulated, we were impressed not by their consistency, but by
the amount of variability that existed among different studies. Although each of these studies
individually provided important new data on ESD, when many papers were viewed simultaneously
it became very difficult to compare results.
Disciplines
Publication Date
1990
Publisher Statement
Copyright 1990 Smithsonian Institution
Citation Information
Gary L. Paukstis and Fredric J. Janzen. "Sex determination in reptiles: summary of effects of constant temperatures of incubation on sex ratios of offspring" Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service Iss. 83 (1990) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/fredric-janzen/53/