Literaturdatenbank
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Lagarde, F., Bonnet, X., Henen, B. T., Corbin, J., Nagy, K. A., & Naulleau, G. (2001). Sexual size dimorphism in steppe tortoises (testudo horsfieldi): growth, maturity, and individual variation. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 79(8), 1433–1441.
Added by: Admin (17 Aug 2008 18:17:19 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Lagarde2001 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Asien = Asia, Fortpflanzung = reproduction, Habitat = habitat, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Testudinidae, Testudo Creators: Bonnet, Corbin, Henen, Lagarde, Nagy, Naulleau Collection: Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Abstract |
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Testudinidae Abstract: Age and size at maturity are determined through complex interactions among size at birth, growth rate, maturation, and survival. We studied sexual size dimorphism and growth rate and maturation patterns in a long-lived organism, the steppe tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi), using the scute lamina number and width as age and growth measures. There was no sexual difference in the juvenile growth rate, but females matured later and hence were larger at maturity than males. We also observed considerable inter-individual variation in age and size at maturity. In both sexes, precocious animals grew faster during the juvenile phase but matured at a smaller body size than did tardy animals. Consequently, maturity did not seem size-dependent per se but rather was determined by growth rate. The strong variation between and within the sexes in age and size at maturity suggest that different growth trajectories and maturation schedules depend upon sex and individual responses to resource availability.
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