Reproduction and Reproduction and ConservationConservation

Kim TerrellKim Terrell

Jessa MadoskyJessa Madosky

Sea Turtle Sex RatiosSea Turtle Sex Ratios

Warmer temperatures favor Warmer temperatures favor femalesfemales

Cooler temperatures favor Cooler temperatures favor malesmales

85% of hatchlings in the 85% of hatchlings in the southern US are female nowsouthern US are female now

Global warming?Global warming?

http://www.turtletime.org/images/nest.gif

Sandtiger Shark Sandtiger Shark CannibalismCannibalism

Grey nurse sharks Grey nurse sharks lay eggs that hatch lay eggs that hatch inside their uterusinside their uterus

The babies then The babies then eat each other to eat each other to survive until birthsurvive until birth

Only two are born – Only two are born – one from each one from each uterus uterus

Giant Pandas

Give birth to 2 cubs…

… but only raise one!

What happens to the other one?

What happens in zoos?

From Bjork and Pitnick, Nature 441, 742-745 (8 June 2006)

Fly is 1.5mm, sperm is 60mm!

1000x longer than human sperm!

The fruit fly!!! (Drosophila bifurca)

Who gets the prize for longest sperm in the world?

Hooked on sperm…Hooked on sperm…

Rodent sperm from Immler et al., PLoS One online, 24 Jan 2007

The sperm from some rodents actually has a hook-shaped head!

(1) House mouse(2) Norweigan rat

Cheetah ConservationCheetah Conservation

Namibia

Population in serious decline due to conflict with farmers

Poor reproduction in captivity

TeratospermiaEjaculation of >60% morphologically abnormal

spermatozoa

Tetra-cephalic, biflagellate

Spermatid (immature sperm)

Abnormal acrosome, bent midpiece, retained cytoplasmic droplet

Normal sperm Microcephalic, tetra-flagellate

Genome Resource BankingGenome Resource Banking•Maintenance and preservation of genetic diversity in captive populations

•‘Rescuing’ genes

•Avoid translocations between breeding facilities

•Avoid importations from the wild

•Insurance against natural catastrophe

Horse ImmunocontraceptionHorse Immunocontraception

Island environment with limited resourcesIsland environment with limited resources Immunocontraception is used to reduce Immunocontraception is used to reduce

the number of horses that need to be the number of horses that need to be removed and increase survival in maresremoved and increase survival in mares

Immuno Wha?Immuno Wha? Pig egg proteins Pig egg proteins

injected cause a injected cause a immunological immunological response to a protein response to a protein found on the egg found on the egg

Antibodies are Antibodies are produced that bind to produced that bind to the sperm receptors the sperm receptors on the eggon the egg

The sperm can’t bind to the egg The sperm can’t bind to the egg so fertilization is preventedso fertilization is prevented

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/Molbio/MolStudents/spring2005/Champaloux/fourth.html

Questions???Questions???