Freda F P, Bernardes V C D, Eisemberg C C, Fantin C, Vogt R C
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin-Northern Territory, Australia.
Genet Mol Res. 2016 Jan 29;15(1):gmr7335. doi: 10.4238/gmr.15017335.
Genetic studies of multiple paternity are a valuable tool to gain information on the reproductive biology of turtles. We analyzed paternity type in Podocnemis sextuberculata and related number of fathers per nest to nesting period (beginning, middle, or end of nesting season); clutch size (number of eggs); female size; and hatchling success. Females were captured and maximum linear carapace lengths measured during the 60 days that encompass the nesting season at Rio Trombetas Biological Reserve (Pará, Brazil). Nests were marked and blood samples collected from hatchlings. Six heterologous loci were used: five from Podocnemis unifilis and one from Podocnemis expansa. Hatchlings were analyzed from 23 nests, and the rate of multiple paternity was 100%. The mean number of fathers per nest was six (± 0.9), and no significant difference between number of fathers in a nest and nesting period. Similarly there was no significant relationship between number of fathers in a nest and female size or hatchling success rate. Number of fathers was, however, positively correlated with clutch size (Spearman correlation rho = 0.47; P > 0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first study to test the relationship between multiple paternity and ecological aspects of the reproductive ecology of turtles in the genus Podocnemis.
对多重父权的遗传学研究是获取有关海龟繁殖生物学信息的宝贵工具。我们分析了六瘤侧颈龟的父权类型，并将每个巢穴的父本数量与筑巢期（筑巢季节的开始、中期或末期）、窝卵数（卵的数量）、雌性体型以及孵化成功率进行了关联分析。在巴西帕拉州里奥特龙贝塔斯生物保护区涵盖筑巢季节的60天内，捕获雌性并测量其背甲最大直线长度。对巢穴进行标记，并从幼龟采集血样。使用了六个异源基因座：五个来自单峰侧颈龟，一个来自阔吻侧颈龟。对23个巢穴的幼龟进行了分析，多重父权率为100%。每个巢穴的父本平均数量为六个（±0.9），巢穴中的父本数量与筑巢期之间无显著差异。同样，巢穴中的父本数量与雌性体型或孵化成功率之间也没有显著关系。然而，父本数量与窝卵数呈正相关（斯皮尔曼相关系数rho = 0.47；P>0.05）。据我们所知，这是第一项测试多重父权与侧颈龟属海龟繁殖生态学的生态方面之间关系的研究。
