Is Thermal Responsiveness Affected by Maternal Estrogens in Species with Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination?

Abstract

In species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), incubation temperatures regulate the expression of genes involved in gonadal differentiation and determine whether the gonads develop into ovaries or testes. For most species, natural incubation conditions result in transient exposure to thermal cues for both ovarian and testis development, but how individuals respond to this transient exposure varies and can drive variation in the resulting sex ratios. Here, we argue that variation in the timing to respond to temperature cues, or thermal responsiveness, is a trait needing further study. Recent work in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta) has found that when embryos experience transient exposure to warm conditions (i.e., heatwaves), some embryos show high responsiveness, requiring only short exposures to commit to ovarian development, while others show low responsiveness, developing testes even after more extended exposures to warm conditions. We discuss how maternal estrogens might influence thermal responsiveness for organisms that develop under thermal fluctuations. Examining the interplay of molecular responses to more subtle thermal and endocrine environments may reveal significant insights into the process of sex determination in species with TSD.