Abstract
Geckos are a species-rich clade of reptiles possessing diverse sex determining mechanisms. Some species possess genetic sex determination, with both male and female heterogamety, while other species have temperature- dependent sex determination. I compiled information from the literature on the taxonomic distribution of these sex determining mechanisms in geckos. Using phylogenetic data from the literature, I reconstructed the minimum number of transitions among these sex determining mechanisms with parsimony-based ancestral state reconstruction. While only a small number of gecko species have been characterized, numerous changes among sex determining mechanisms were inferred. This diversity, coupled with the high frequency of transitions, makes geckos excellent candidates as a model clade for the study of vertebrate sex determination and evolution.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 88-103 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Sexual Development |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 1-2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Comparative method
- Female heterogamety
- Genetic sex determination
- Homology
- Lizard
- Male heterogamety
- Reptile
- Sex chromosomes
- Temperature-dependent sex determination