AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Proximate Control of Variation of Clutch, Egg, and Body Size in a West-Texas Population of Uta stansburiana stejnegeri (Sauria: Iguanidae)

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1990
Authors:Ferguson, GW, Snell, HL, Landwer, AJ
Journal:Herpetologica
Volume:46
Issue:2
Date Published:1990
ISBN Number:00180831
Keywords:Gruidae, Grus, Grus grus
Abstract:In a population of Uta stansburiana stejnegeri, in Crane Co., Texas, summer rainfall influenced prereproductive growth rate and two of three variables the following spring: (1) the sizes of adult females and (2) size of their first clutch but (3) not of their eggs or offspring in the first clutch. Some of the environmental effect on clutch size was indirectly due to the effect on body size. However, most (73%) of the variance of clutch size was independent of that of body size. The environment during the breeding season influenced both size of clutch and, especially, size of offspring. Second clutches decreased in size relative to first clutches independent of female body size. This decrease was prevented in the laboratory by eliminating changes in both food intake and photothermal periodicity during the vitellogenic periods. For field-collected late-vitellogenic and ovigerous females, two factors were significantly negatively correlated with egg and hatchling size but not with clutch size: time in terraria prior to oviposition and time in the egg-laying jars prior to oviposition. Dry incubation conditions reduced hatchling size slightly but significantly. Comparing field-caught with laboratory-raised females suggested that (1) egg and offspring size can be environmentally influenced dramatically and disproportionately from clutch and adult body size whereas clutch and adult body size are influenced more in proportion to each other, (2) clutch and body size variations may be more heritable than egg or offspring size, and (3) clutch and body size may be correlated genetically.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/3892908
Short Title:Herpetologica
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith