Recently Stephanie A. Wolfe, Jordan Donini, and Rolda´n A. Valverde posted their research titled “Plasma Vitellogenin and Testosterone in Diamond-backed Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) during the Nesting Season in Coastal New Jersey”. This website (http://www.ichthyologyandherpetology.org/ihbjbc/ash2020122zh870552wq) allows for the article to be downloaded withing 50 days of publishing and the article was published 3/6/2023. So this link is only available for a couple more weeks.
Basically, this article provides more insight into the hormonal cycle of Diamondback Terrapins. Vitellogenin is a protein that is needed for the turtle egg yolk. It is synthesized through a process called Vitellogenesis. Though this was published recently, the blood samples from the terrapins were collected in 2013. Testosterone was also accounted for in both males and females because it might help regulate Vitellogenesis. They found both testosterone and vitellogenin in higher concentrations in larger females, and these larger females nested earlier in the season when there are better resources. Based on the article, testosterone and vitellogenin can be tested to predict reproductive output and larger females have a higher fitness.
Not much is known about diamondback terrapins hormonal cycle, this research aids in our understanding of these reptiles. The methods in this article could be used to more accurately determine reproductive output in reptiles and amphibians. For instance, taking blood samples from female oviparous reptiles and tracking their vitellogenin and testosterone could prove useful in understanding the different reptile's reproductive cycles as well. Also, the samples were originally taken a decade ago, but this article was recently published. So maybe we could also reuse old data and test for these things that we didn’t look for before. Though, I am not sure if that is what happened in this case.
The more we understand how each animal functions, the more connections we can make between animals. With more accurate information, we might come to a uniform conclusion about the phylogeny of reptiles and amphibians. I believe that is incredibly valuable.
Bibliography
Wolfe, Stephanie A., et al. “Plasma Vitellogenin and Testosterone in Diamond-Backed Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin) during the Nesting Season in Coastal New Jersey.” Ichthyology & Herpetology, vol. 111, no. 1, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1643/h2020122.
1 comment:
Interesting article! Are there conservation or management implications of these results?
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