Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Bagatto, B.
• Crossley, D.A.
• Altimiras, J.
• Elsey, R.M.
• Hicks, J.W.

Titel

Physiological variability in yearling alligators: Clutch differences at rest and during activity

Ist Teil von

• Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology, 2012-05, Vol.162 (1), p.44-50

Ort / Verlag

United States: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2012

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The adult phenotype of an organism is the result of its genotype, the environment, and the interaction between the two. Assessing the relative contribution of these factors to the final adult phenotype continues to occupy researchers. Studies have shown clutch effects early in development but few have investigated the persistence of clutch effects on a longer time scale. Five clutches of American alligators were reared for 1year in a common environment then assessed for the presence of clutch effects as they related to morphological and physiological characteristics. After 1year, significant clutch effects were evident in all size related variables despite open access to food. Additionally, lung and liver masses remained different between clutches after animal mass was taken into account. Although clutch had no effect on resting heart rate, it significantly contributed to mean arterial pressure. During swimming and exhaustive exercise, the resulting respiratory and metabolic acidoses were strongly dependent on clutch. Therefore, while the environment can have significant influences on the American alligator from hatching to death, the measureable contribution of genetics to the morphology and physiology of the organism remains evident, even after 1year of common rearing conditions. It behooves researchers to acknowledge and control for clutch effects when designing experiments.