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Incubation environment affects phenotype of naturally incubated green turtle hatchlings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2003

F. Glen ,
A.C. Broderick ,
B.J. Godley  and
G.C. Hays
F. Glen*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
A.C. Broderick
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
B.J. Godley
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
G.C. Hays
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
*
*Corresponding author, e-mail: fglen1@hotmail.com
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Abstract

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.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 83 , Issue 5 , October 2003 , pp. 1183 - 1186
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2003

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