Some studies have associated ex situ conservation with cerebral and gonadal developmental delay, as well as decreased motor performance in Lepidochelys olivacea offspring. Ex situ management is also related to a more mature spleen and a differential leukocyte count in newly emerged Lepidochelys olivacea hatchlings. The physiological relevance of a more mature spleen is unknown in sea turtles, but studies in birds suggest an increased immune response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn invertebrates, it has recently been reported that secondary sexual characteristics (SSCs) reflect the antioxidant defense of their bearers, but it is not known what physiological link maintains the honesty of those signals. Here, we used the damselfly to test whether juvenile hormone plays such a role. First, we analyzed whether oxidative damage is a real threat in natural damselfly populations by examining the accumulation of oxidized guanines as a function of age in males.
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