What phenomenon is responsible for determining the sex of wood turtle hatchlings?
Answer
Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination (TSD) during incubation
The sex of the young wood turtles that emerge from the nest is not determined genetically at fertilization in the typical sense, but rather by environmental factors during embryonic development. This critical process is known as Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination (TSD). The specific temperature maintained within the nest chamber throughout the lengthy incubation period, which often spans 50 to 80 days, dictates whether the hatchling develops as male or female. This dependence on stable thermal conditions makes the nest site selection by the female vitally important.
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