There are certain things that happen in our living world that make us sit up and take notice with great wonder & curiosity. Climatic changes have a great effect on Animals and birds and their living habitats around the world. Birds change their migratory pattern, polar bears change their food habits, and these are just few of the well known effects of Climate change. Scientists have now confirmed that climate changes are turning the male dragon lizards into females in the wild, Lizards are now changing gender due to high temperatures.
Australia’s bearded dragon lizards were studied by the researchers belonging to the University of Canberra and these researchers showed that reptiles sex determination process can change from one determined by the chromosomes to the one that is determined by changes in temperature. According to Dr Clare Holleley, a post doctoral research fellow from University of Canberra Institute of Applied Ecology, the change of male dragon lizard into female lizard when they are exposed to extreme temperatures, had been shown in the lab. It is now shown that, these sex reversed lizards are fertile and it occurs naturally.
Holleley and colleagues performed molecular analysis, which showed that , some warmer lizards had male chromosome but they were female. Through field data obtained from 131 adult lizards and by controlled breeding experiments, Holleley and others performed the analysis.
Dr Clare Holleley stated that, by breeding sex reversed females with males that are normal, new breeding lines were established where the temperature alone determined sex. She further said that, these lizards could activate rapid transition from a genetically dependent to temperature dependent system. Dr Holleley added that, sex-reversed mothers-females ( genetically males) laid more eggs when compared to the normal mothers.. The dad lizards could make better moms as shown by these lizards. This change in sex is taking place in an area that is considered to be fastest warming places in Australia for over 40 years.
Professor Arthur Georges, University of Canberra, senior author of this paper, underlined the importance that these findings have in broader context of sex determination evolution.
Arthur Georges further said that, mechanisms that involve in the process of determination of sex have intense impact on the evolution and endurance of all sexually reproducing species. Greater knowledge about these species would make us better equipped in predicting the evolutionary responses to climatic changes thereby the impact on biodiversity. The research was published in the journal named ” Nature’’.
