Environmental sex determination

Environmental sex determination is a type of sex determination in which the sex of an organism is determined by environmental conditions experienced during its development. This is in contrast to genetic sex determination, where sex is determined by the inheritance of specific chromosomes.

Overview

In environmental sex determination, the sex of an organism is not determined at the time of fertilization, but at a later stage of development. The specific environmental factor that triggers sex determination can vary among species. Common factors include temperature, social environment, and the availability of certain resources.

Temperature-dependent sex determination

Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a type of environmental sex determination that is common in many reptiles, including some species of turtles, crocodiles, and lizards. In these species, the sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated during a critical period of development. For example, in many turtle species, higher incubation temperatures result in a higher proportion of female offspring, while lower temperatures result in more males.

Socially-induced sex determination

In some species, the social environment can influence sex determination. This is known as socially-induced sex determination (SSD). For example, in the clownfish, the dominant individual in a group will change sex from male to female when the breeding female dies.

Resource-dependent sex determination

In resource-dependent sex determination (RSD), the availability of certain resources can influence the sex of an organism. For example, in the bluehead wrasse, a type of fish, the sex of an individual can change from female to male when a territory becomes available.

See also

• Sexual differentiation
• Sexual dimorphism
• Hermaphroditism

References

Environmental sex determination Resources
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