“Alligator Sex Determination: One Degree Temperature Shift Could Impact Species Survival, U” — what this page in the network covers. A new study from the University of Georgia reveals that a mere one- to two-degree temperature difference during egg incubation could determine whether an alligator hatches as male or female. Published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the research highlights the species' extreme sensitivity to Published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the research highlights the species' extreme sensitivity to nest temperatures, with potential long-term consequences for population balance.
instead, the temperature at which eggs develop dictates sex, a process known as temperature-dependent sex determination. The findings suggest that even minor climate shifts could skew sex ratios, threatening reproductive viability. This matters because alligators are keystone species in wetland ecosystems, and skewed ratios could disrupt not only their populations but also the broader ecological balance. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.