How incubation temperature affects hatchling performance in reptiles: an integrative insight based on plasticity in metabolic enzyme

Abstract Evaluating the effects of temperature variations on animals plays an important role in understanding threat climate warming. The developmental offspring performance are critical evaluating warming temperatures fitness oviparous species, but physiological and biochemical basis this plasticity is largely unknown. In study, we incubated eggs turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) at low (24°C), medium (28°C), high (32°C) temperatures, evaluated fitness, metabolic enzymes neck limb muscles hatchlings. hatchlings form showed better fitness-related (righting response swimming capacity) higher activities (hexokinase, HK; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) than from or temperatures. addition, speed righting were significantly correlated with HK (swimming speed) response) muscles, suggesting that energy pathway might play a determining way incubation affects phenotypes. Integrating enzymes, predict P. sinensis latitude would not face detrimental until average nest reach 32 ℃.