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Wilson LE. Rapid growth in Late Cretaceous sea turtles reveals life history strategies similar to extant leatherbacks. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14864. [PMID: 36793890 PMCID: PMC9924133 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern sea turtle long bone osteohistology has been surprisingly well-studied, as it is used to understand sea turtle growth and the timing of life history events, thus informing conservation decisions. Previous histologic studies reveal two distinct bone growth patterns in extant sea turtle taxa, with Dermochelys (leatherbacks) growing faster than the cheloniids (all other living sea turtles). Dermochelys also has a unique life history compared to other sea turtles (large size, elevated metabolism, broad biogeographic distribution, etc.) that is likely linked to bone growth strategies. Despite the abundance of data on modern sea turtle bone growth, extinct sea turtle osteohistology is virtually unstudied. Here, long bone microstructure of the large, Cretaceous sea turtle Protostega gigas is examined to better understand its life history. Humeral and femoral analysis reveals bone microstructure patterns similar to Dermochelys with variable but sustained rapid growth through early ontogeny. Similarities between Progostegea and Dermochelys osteohistology suggest similar life history strategies like elevated metabolic rates with rapid growth to large body size and sexual maturity. Comparison to the more basal protostegid Desmatochelys indicates elevated growth rates are not present throughout the entire Protostegidae, but evolved in larger and more derived taxa, possibly in response to Late Cretaceous ecological changes. Given the uncertainties in the phylogenetic placement of the Protostegidae, these results either support convergent evolution towards rapid growth and elevated metabolism in both derived protostegids and dermochelyids, or a close evolutionary relationship between the two taxa. Better understanding the evolution and diversity of sea turtle life history strategies during the Late Cretaceous greenhouse climate can also impact current sea turtle conservation decisions.
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Turner Tomaszewicz CN, Avens L, Seminoff JA, Limpus CJ, FitzSimmons NN, Guinea ML, Pendoley KL, Whittock PA, Vitenbergs A, Whiting SD, Tucker AD. Age-specific growth and maturity estimates for the flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) by skeletochronology. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271048. [PMID: 35857751 PMCID: PMC9299290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To address a major knowledge gap for flatback sea turtles (Natator depressus), a species endemic to Australia and considered ‘Data Deficient’ for IUCN Red List assessment, we present the first-ever skeletochronology-derived age and growth rate estimates for this species. Using a rare collection of bone samples gathered from across northern Australia, we applied skeletochronology and characterized the length-at-age relationship, established baseline growth rates from the hatchling to adult life stages, and produced empirical estimates of age-at- and size-at-sexual-maturation (ASM, SSM). We analyzed humeri from 74 flatback sea turtles ranging in body size from 6.0–96.0 cm curved carapace length (CCL), and recovered from Western Australia (n = 48), Eastern Australia (n = 13), central Australia (n = 8; Northern Territory n = 3, the Gulf of Carpentaria n = 5), and unknown locations (n = 5). We identified the onset of sexual maturity for 29 turtles, based on rapprochement growth patterns in the bones. Estimates for ASM ranged from 12.0 to 23.0 years (mean: 16.3 ± 0.53 SE), SSM ranged from 76.1 to 94.0 cm CCL (mean: 84.9 ± 0.90 SE), and maximum observed reproductive longevity was 31 years for a 45-year old male flatback. Growth was modeled as a smoothing spline fit to the size-at-age relationship and at the mean SSM (84.9 cm CCL) corresponded with a spline-predicted maturity age of 18 years (95% CI: 16 to 24), while mean nesting sizes reported in the literature (86.4 to 94 cm CCL) corresponded to estimated ages of 24+ years. A bootstrapped von Bertalanffy growth model was also applied and showed consistencies with the spline curve, yielding an estimated upper size limit, Linf, at 89.2 ± 0.04 cm (95% CI: 85.5 to 95.9 cm) with the intrinsic growth rate parameter, k, at 0.185 ± 0.0004 (0.16 to 0.22); at the same mean SSM (84.9 cm CCL) the estimated ASM was 16.3 ± 0.05 years (95% CI: 12.8 to 27.7 years). Lastly, four of the samples analyzed were collected from deceased adult females that had previous sizes known from on-going mark/recapture studies at nesting sites in Western Australia. The paired CCL data (measured at nesting and back-calculated) did not significantly differ (p = 0.875). This first skeletochronology study for flatback sea turtles generates valuable empirical estimates for ongoing conservation and management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calandra N. Turner Tomaszewicz
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- The Ocean Foundation, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Larisa Avens
- NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Beaufort, NC, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A. Seminoff
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Colin J. Limpus
- Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott D. Whiting
- Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Anton D. Tucker
- Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
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Levasseur KE, Stapleton SP, Quattro JM. Precise natal homing and an estimate of age at sexual maturity in hawksbill turtles. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. E. Levasseur
- Department of Biological Sciences University of South Carolina Columbia SC USA
- Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project St John’s Antigua and Barbuda
| | - S. P. Stapleton
- Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project St John’s Antigua and Barbuda
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
| | - J. M. Quattro
- Department of Biological Sciences University of South Carolina Columbia SC USA
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Harvey VL, LeFebvre MJ, deFrance SD, Toftgaard C, Drosou K, Kitchener AC, Buckley M. Preserved collagen reveals species identity in archaeological marine turtle bones from Caribbean and Florida sites. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191137. [PMID: 31824722 PMCID: PMC6837194 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Advancements in molecular science are continually improving our knowledge of marine turtle biology and evolution. However, there are still considerable gaps in our understanding, such as past marine turtle distributions, which can benefit from advanced zooarchaeological analyses. Here, we apply collagen fingerprinting to 130 archaeological marine turtle bone samples up to approximately 2500 years old from the Caribbean and Florida's Gulf Coast for faunal identification, finding the vast majority of samples (88%) to contain preserved collagen despite deposition in the tropics. All samples can be identified to species-level with the exception of the Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and olive ridley (L. olivacea) turtles, which can be separated to genus level, having diverged from one another only approximately 5 Ma. Additionally, we identify a single homologous peptide that allows the separation of archaeological green turtle samples, Chelonia spp., into two distinct groups, which potentially signifies a difference in genetic stock. The majority of the archaeological samples are identified as green turtle (Chelonia spp.; 63%), with hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata; 17%) and ridley turtles (Lepidochelys spp.; 3%) making up smaller proportions of the assemblage. There were no molecular identifications of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) in the assemblage despite 9% of the samples being morphologically identified as such, highlighting the difficulties in relying on morphological identifications alone in archaeological remains. Finally, we present the first marine turtle molecular phylogeny using collagen (I) amino acid sequences and find our analyses match recent phylogenies based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Our results highlight the advantage of using collagen fingerprinting to supplement morphological analyses of turtle bones and support the usefulness of this technique for assessing their past distributions across the Caribbean and Florida's Gulf Coast, especially in these tropical environments where DNA preservation may be poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia L. Harvey
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Michelle J. LeFebvre
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Susan D. deFrance
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Casper Toftgaard
- The SAXO Institute, University of Copenhagen, Karen Blixens Plads 8, 2300 København S, Denmark
- National Museum of Denmark, Nationalmuseet, Ny Vestergade 10, Prinsens Palæ, DK-1471, København K, Denmark
| | - Konstantina Drosou
- KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, School of Biological Sciences, 99 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PG, UK
| | - Andrew C. Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
- The University of Edinburgh, Institute of Geography, School of Geosciences, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Michael Buckley
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
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Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11050076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found dead on GOM beaches on Mustang Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA, 1994–1999. Straight carapace length (SCL) ranged from 40.8 to 68.7 cm. Preserved gonads and associated tissues were examined and measured. Gonadal measurements were then compared with SCL. Adults and juveniles shared a larger range of carapace measurements than expected, supporting the idea that juveniles spend several years in a pubertal state. Our results suggest caution when using SCL, tail length, or curved front claws alone as indicators of sexual maturity. In fact, SCL can be used to discern adults from juveniles with more predictive power when coupled with testis length or oviduct length measurements, thus allowing endangered species managers to more clearly identify demographic shifts in the number of mature animals, which can precede population changes. This study shows that information gained from the examination of stranded sea turtles allows wildlife managers to make more informed decisions regarding conservation priorities.
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Kocmoud AR, Wang HH, Grant WE, Gallaway BJ. Population dynamics of the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle following the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: Simulation of potential cause-effect relationships. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Omeyer LCM, Godley BJ, Broderick AC. Growth rates of adult sea turtles. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Avens L, Goshe LR, Coggins L, Shaver DJ, Higgins B, Landry AM, Bailey R. Variability in age and size at maturation, reproductive longevity, and long-term growth dynamics for Kemp's ridley sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173999. [PMID: 28333937 PMCID: PMC5363829 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective management of protected sea turtle populations requires knowledge not only of mean values for demographic and life-history parameters, but also temporal and spatial trends, variability, and underlying causes. For endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii), the need for baseline information of this type has been emphasized during attempts to understand causes underlying the recent truncation in the recovery trajectory for nesting females. To provide insight into variability in age and size at sexual maturation (ASM and SSM) and long-term growth patterns likely to influence population trends, we conducted skeletochronological analysis of humerus bones from 333 Kemp's ridleys stranded throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) from 1993 to 2010. Ranges of possible ASMs (6.8 to 21.8 yr) and SSMs (53.3 to 68.3 cm straightline carapace length (SCL)) estimated using the "rapprochement" skeletal growth mark associated with maturation were broad, supporting incorporation of a maturation schedule in Kemp's ridley population models. Mean ASMs estimated from rapprochement and by fitting logistic, generalized additive mixed, and von Bertalanffy growth models to age and growth data ranged from 11 to 13 yr; confidence intervals for the logistic model predicted maturation of 95% of the population between 11.9 and 14.8 yr. Early juvenile somatic growth rates in the GOM were greater than those previously reported for the Atlantic, indicating potential for differences in maturation trajectories between regions. Finally, long-term, significant decreases in somatic growth response were found for both juveniles and adults, which could influence recruitment to the reproductive population and observed nesting population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Avens
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Beaufort Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Lisa R. Goshe
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Beaufort Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lewis Coggins
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Bethel, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Donna J. Shaver
- National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ben Higgins
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Galveston Laboratory, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andre M. Landry
- Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rhonda Bailey
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
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Rees AF, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Barata PCR, Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Bourjea J, Broderick AC, Campbell LM, Cardona L, Carreras C, Casale P, Ceriani SA, Dutton PH, Eguchi T, Formia A, Fuentes MMPB, Fuller WJ, Girondot M, Godfrey MH, Hamann M, Hart KM, Hays GC, Hochscheid S, Kaska Y, Jensen MP, Mangel JC, Mortimer JA, Naro-Maciel E, Ng CKY, Nichols WJ, Phillott AD, Reina RD, Revuelta O, Schofield G, Seminoff JA, Shanker K, Tomás J, van de Merwe JP, Van Houtan KS, Vander Zanden HB, Wallace BP, Wedemeyer-Strombel KR, Work TM, Godley BJ. Are we working towards global research priorities for management and conservation of sea turtles? ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Lenz AJ, Avens L, Campos Trigo C, Borges-Martins M. Skeletochronological estimation of age and growth of loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta) in the western South Atlantic Ocean. AUSTRAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Júlia Lenz
- Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá; Tefé Amazonas Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre
| | - Larisa Avens
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center; Beaufort Laboratory; Beaufort North Carolina USA
| | - Cariane Campos Trigo
- Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Imbé
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Márcio Borges-Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
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Caillouet CW, Gallaway BJ, Putman NF. Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Saga and Setback: Novel Analyses of Cumulative Hatchlings Released and Time-Lagged Annual Nests in Tamaulipas, Mexico. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1189.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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