@article{19f12c0e48d94b32bee503d9bef7ad95,
title = "Evolutionary stability inferred for a free ranging lizard with sex-reversal",
abstract = "The sex of vertebrates is typically determined genetically, but reptile sex can also be determined by developmental temperature. In some reptiles, temperature interacts with genotype to reverse sex, potentially leading to transitions from a chromosomal to a temperature-dependent sex determining system. Transitions between such systems in nature are accelerated depending on the frequency and fitness of sex-reversed individuals. The Central Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps, exhibits female heterogamety (ZZ/ZW) but can have its sex reversed from ZZ male to ZZ female by high incubation temperatures. The species exhibits sex-reversal in the wild and it has been suggested that climate change and fitness of sex-reversed individuals could be increasing the frequency of reversal within the species range. Transitions to temperature-dependent sex determination require low levels of dispersal and high (>50%) rates of sex-reversal. Here, we combine genotype-by-sequencing, identification of phenotypic and chromosomal sex, exhaustive field surveys, and radio telemetry to examine levels of genetic structure, rates of sex-reversal, movement, space use, and survival of P. vitticeps in a location previously identified as a hot spot for sex-reversal. We find that the species exhibits low levels of population structure (FST ~0.001) and a modest (~17%) rate of sex-reversal, and that sex-reversed and nonsex-reversed females have similar survival and behavioural characteristics to each other. Overall, our data indicate this system is evolutionary stable, although we do not rule out the prospect of a more gradual transition in sex-determining mechanisms in the future in a more fragmented landscape and as global temperatures increase.",
keywords = "dispersal, movement, sex determination, sex ratio, sex-reversal, survival",
author = "Wild, {Kristoffer H.} and Roe, {John H.} and Lisa Schwanz and Arthur Georges and Sarre, {Stephen D.}",
note = "Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge the Kunja, people, as well as the Budjari, the Kullilla, the Barundji, the Wongaibon, and the Gunu people – the traditional custodians of the land where this study took place. The project was funded by a Discovery Grant from the Australian Research Council (DP170101147) awarded to A.G. (lead), Clare Holleley, Janine Deakin, Tariq Ezaz, S.D.S, L.S., Paul Waters and Jennifer Marshall Graves. Additional funds were provided by the Ecological Society of Australia awarded to K.H.W. K.H.W was supported by a Commonwealth Research Scholarship and the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra. We thank Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) for access to study site and research facilities at Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary. We thank John Barton (AWC) for assistance in providing logistical support and vehicle recovery assistance at Bowra during 2018‐2020 field season. For help in both the laboratory and field we thank Mallory Strawn‐Wild, P. R. Pearson, K. Joyner, J. Soroka, H. Warick, M. Castelli, and S.L. Whiteley. We also thank R.E. Blanton, C.M. Gienger, C.E. Holleley, Bernd Gruber, and Jim Hone for project feedback which added to overall quality of the manuscript. Lizards which were collected and sampled during University of Canberra field trips were collected under University of Canberra animal ethics approvals and relevant scientific collection permits from Queensland and New South Wales. Chris Burridge and two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable suggestions for clarification and provided critical reviews that added to the overall quality of the manuscript. Samples from University of Canberra field trips and radio telemetry study were performed under UC Animal Ethics approval AEC 17‐13. Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge the Kunja, people, as well as the Budjari, the Kullilla, the Barundji, the Wongaibon, and the Gunu people – the traditional custodians of the land where this study took place. The project was funded by a Discovery Grant from the Australian Research Council (DP170101147) awarded to A.G. (lead), Clare Holleley, Janine Deakin, Tariq Ezaz, S.D.S, L.S., Paul Waters and Jennifer Marshall Graves. Additional funds were provided by the Ecological Society of Australia awarded to K.H.W. K.H.W was supported by a Commonwealth Research Scholarship and the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra. We thank Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) for access to study site and research facilities at Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary. We thank John Barton (AWC) for assistance in providing logistical support and vehicle recovery assistance at Bowra during 2018-2020 field season. For help in both the laboratory and field we thank Mallory Strawn-Wild, P. R. Pearson, K. Joyner, J. Soroka, H. Warick, M. Castelli, and S.L. Whiteley. We also thank R.E. Blanton, C.M. Gienger, C.E. Holleley, Bernd Gruber, and Jim Hone for project feedback which added to overall quality of the manuscript. Lizards which were collected and sampled during University of Canberra field trips were collected under University of Canberra animal ethics approvals and relevant scientific collection permits from Queensland and New South Wales. Chris Burridge and two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable suggestions for clarification and provided critical reviews that added to the overall quality of the manuscript. Samples from University of Canberra field trips and radio telemetry study were performed under UC Animal Ethics approval AEC 17-13. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",
year = "2022",
month = apr,
doi = "10.1111/mec.16404",
language = "English",
volume = "31",
pages = "2281--2292",
journal = "Molecular Ecology",
issn = "0962-1083",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "8",
}
