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<meta content="Atkins, Natalia" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Swain, Roy" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Jones, Susan M." name="eprints.creators_name" />
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<meta content="2007-02-14" name="eprints.datestamp" />
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<meta content="Does date of birth or a capacity for facultative placentotrophy influence offspring quality in a viviparous skink, Niveoscincus microlepidotus?" name="eprints.title" />
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<meta content="Niveoscincus microlepidotus is a viviparous lizard that exhibits biennial reproduction: births in spring optimise offspring survival in this species' alpine habitat. Over three annual activity seasons, we investigated the hypothesis that date of birth influences offspring characteristics. In the first year of our study, there was no effect of date of birth on any offspring characteristic measured. In the second year, later-born offspring grew significantly faster. In the third year, later-born offspring were significantly longer and heavier at birth. These varying results may be attributable to differences in basking opportunities for the gestating females due to annual variations in spring weather patterns. To test the hypothesis that both lecithotrophic ( yolk) and placentotrophic nutrients support embryos during their extended gestation, we determined the degree of placentotrophy for this species. The mean dry neonate: dry egg ratio of 0.755 indicates that this species is predominantly lecithotrophic. Only in the first year of the study did the data suggest a potential for facultative placentotrophy in this species. We therefore suggest that in N. microlepidotus lecithotrophic nutrition is converted into embryonic fat bodies that support the embryo in utero over winter until spring parturition." name="eprints.abstract" />
<meta content="2006" name="eprints.date" />
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<meta content="Australian Journal of Zoology" name="eprints.publication" />
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<meta content="369-374" name="eprints.pagerange" />
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<meta content="Atkins, N., and Wapstra, E. (2004). Successful treatment of a mite infestation in gravid spotted snow skinks (Niveoscincus ocellatus). Herpetofauna 34, 66-69.
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Doughty, P., and Shine, R. (1998). Reproductive energy allocation and long-term energy stores in a viviparous lizard (Eulamprus tympanum). Ecology 79, 1073-1083.
Ferguson, G.W., and Fox, S.F. (1984). Annual variation of survival advantage of large juvenile side-blotched lizards, Uta stansburiana: its causes and evolutionary significance. Evolution 38, 342-349.
Fox, S.F. (1978). Natural selection on behavioural phenotypes of the lizards Uta stansburiana. Ecology 59, 834-847.
Girling, J.E., Jones, S.M. and Swain, R. (2002a). Delayed ovulation and parturition in a viviparous alpine lizard (Niveoscincus microlepidotus): morphological data and plasma steroid concentrations. Reproduction Fertility and Development 14, 43-53.
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Hutchinson, M.N., Robertson, P. and Rawlinson, P.A. (1989). Redescription and ecology of the two endemic Tasmanian scincid lizards Leiolopisma microlepidotum and L. pretiosum. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 123, 257-274.
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Olsson, M., and Shine, R. (1998). Timing of parturition as a maternal care tactic in an alpine lizard species. Evolution 52, 1861-1864.
Olsson, M., and Shine, R. (1999). Plasticity of frequency of reproduction in an alpine lizard, Niveoscincus microlepidotus. Copeia 1999, 794-796.
Sangha, S., Smola, M.A., McKinney, S.L., Crotzer, D.R., Shadrix, C.A. and Stewart, J.R. (1996). The effect of surgical removal of oviductal eggs on placental function and size of neonates in the viviparous snake Virginia striatula. Herpetologica 52, 32-36.
Shine, R., and Downes, S.J. (1999). Can pregnant lizards adjust their offspring phenotypes to environmental conditions? Oecologia 119, 1-8.
Shine, R., and Harlow, P. (1993). Maternal thermoregulation influences offspring viability in a viviparous lizard. Oecologia 96, 122-127.
Shine, R., and Olsson, M. (2003). When to be born? Prolonged pregnancy or incubation enhances locomotor performance in neonatal lizards (Scincidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 16, 823-832.
Sinervo, B., and DeNardo, D.F. (1996). Costs of reproduction in the wild: path analysis of natural selection and experimental tests of causation. Evolution 50, 1299-1313.
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Stewart, J.R. (1989). Facultative placentotrophy and the evolution of squamate placentation: quality of eggs and neonates in Virginia striatula. The American Naturalist 133, 111-137.
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Swain, R., and Jones, S.M. (2000b). Maternal effects associated with gestation conditions in a viviparous lizard, Niveoscincus metallicus. Herpetological Monographs 14, 432-440.
Thompson, M.B., Speake, B.K., Stewart, J.R., Russell, K., McCartney, R.J. and Surai, P.F. (1999a). Placental nutrition in the viviparous lizard Niveoscincus metallicus: the influence of placental type. Journal of Experimental Biology 202, 2985-2997.
Thompson, M.B., Stewart, J.R. and Speake, B.K. (2000). Comparison of nutrient transport across the placenta of lizards differing in placental complexity. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 127, 469-479.
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<meta content="Niveoscincus microlepidotus is a viviparous lizard that exhibits biennial reproduction: births in spring optimise offspring survival in this species' alpine habitat. Over three annual activity seasons, we investigated the hypothesis that date of birth influences offspring characteristics. In the first year of our study, there was no effect of date of birth on any offspring characteristic measured. In the second year, later-born offspring grew significantly faster. In the third year, later-born offspring were significantly longer and heavier at birth. These varying results may be attributable to differences in basking opportunities for the gestating females due to annual variations in spring weather patterns. To test the hypothesis that both lecithotrophic ( yolk) and placentotrophic nutrients support embryos during their extended gestation, we determined the degree of placentotrophy for this species. The mean dry neonate: dry egg ratio of 0.755 indicates that this species is predominantly lecithotrophic. Only in the first year of the study did the data suggest a potential for facultative placentotrophy in this species. We therefore suggest that in N. microlepidotus lecithotrophic nutrition is converted into embryonic fat bodies that support the embryo in utero over winter until spring parturition." name="DC.description" />
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<h1 class="ep_tm_pagetitle">Does date of birth or a capacity for facultative placentotrophy influence offspring quality in a viviparous skink, Niveoscincus microlepidotus?</h1>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"><span class="person_name">Atkins, Natalia</span> and <span class="person_name">Swain, Roy</span> and <span class="person_name">Jones, Susan M.</span> (2006) <xhtml:em>Does date of birth or a capacity for facultative placentotrophy influence offspring quality in a viviparous skink, Niveoscincus microlepidotus?</xhtml:em> Australian Journal of Zoology, 54 (5). pp. 369-374. ISSN 0004-959X</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"></p><table style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"><tr><td valign="top" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/744/1/date_of_birth.csiro.au_copy.pdf"><img alt="[img]" src="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png" border="0" class="ep_doc_icon" /></a></td><td valign="top"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/744/1/date_of_birth.csiro.au_copy.pdf"><span class="ep_document_citation">PDF</span></a> - Full text restricted - Requires a PDF viewer<br />163Kb</td><td><form method="get" accept-charset="utf-8" action="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/cgi/request_doc"><input value="753" name="docid" accept-charset="utf-8" type="hidden" /><div class=""><input value="Request a copy" name="_action_null" class="ep_form_action_button" onclick="return EPJS_button_pushed( '_action_null' )" type="submit" /> </div></form></td></tr></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block">Official URL: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO06041">http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO06041</a></p><div class="not_ep_block"><h2>Abstract</h2><p style="padding-bottom: 16px; text-align: left; margin: 1em auto 0em auto">Niveoscincus microlepidotus is a viviparous lizard that exhibits biennial reproduction: births in spring optimise offspring survival in this species' alpine habitat. Over three annual activity seasons, we investigated the hypothesis that date of birth influences offspring characteristics. In the first year of our study, there was no effect of date of birth on any offspring characteristic measured. In the second year, later-born offspring grew significantly faster. In the third year, later-born offspring were significantly longer and heavier at birth. These varying results may be attributable to differences in basking opportunities for the gestating females due to annual variations in spring weather patterns. To test the hypothesis that both lecithotrophic ( yolk) and placentotrophic nutrients support embryos during their extended gestation, we determined the degree of placentotrophy for this species. The mean dry neonate: dry egg ratio of 0.755 indicates that this species is predominantly lecithotrophic. Only in the first year of the study did the data suggest a potential for facultative placentotrophy in this species. We therefore suggest that in N. microlepidotus lecithotrophic nutrition is converted into embryonic fat bodies that support the embryo in utero over winter until spring parturition.</p></div><table style="margin-bottom: 1em" border="0" cellpadding="3" class="not_ep_block"><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Item Type:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">Article</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Additional Information:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=ZO06041.pdf</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Keywords:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">lizard; reptile; placenta; viviparity; alpine; gestation; </td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Subjects:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/view/subjects/270799.html">270000 Biological Sciences > 270700 Ecology and Evolution > 270799 Ecology and Evolution not elsewhere classified</a><br /><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/view/subjects/270604.html">270000 Biological Sciences > 270600 Physiology > 270604 Comparative Physiology</a></td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Collections:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">UNSPECIFIED</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">ID Code:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">744</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Deposited By:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><span class="ep_name_citation"><span class="person_name">A/Prof. Susan M. Jones</span></span></td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Deposited On:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">14 Feb 2007</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Last Modified:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">04 Feb 2008 13:16</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">ePrint Statistics:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><a target="ePrintStats" href="/es/index.php?action=show_detail_eprint;id=744;">View statistics for this ePrint</a></td></tr></table><p align="right">Repository Staff Only: <a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::View&eprintid=744">item control page</a></p>
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