TY - JOUR
T1 - Eggshell composition of squamate reptiles
T2 - Relationship between eggshell permeability and amino acid distribution
AU - Sexton, Owen J.
AU - Bramble, Judith E.
AU - Heisler, I. Lorraine
AU - Phillips, Christopher A.
AU - Cox, David L.
N1 - Funding Information:
AcknowledgmentsVThis project was initiated under the auspices of a fellowship to OJS from the Dept. of Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, N.S.W., Australia, in the fall of 1984. Prof. Harold Heatwole and Audrey Heatwole provided basic support and guidance; Drs. Menna Jones and Jeff Miller aided the field work. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the Republic of Panama offered physical and intellectual support with special assistance provided by Dr. A. Stanley Rand. The Herpetarium of the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, MO, USA, provided eggshells of many species. Dr. Brian E. Viets provided us with eggshells of Hemitheconyx and Dr. David Crews with Cnemidophorus uniparens. Many eggshells were obtained from the St. Louis area, particularly at the Washington University Tyson Research Center (Dr. Richard Coles, Director). Collecting in Missouri was carried out under a collecting permit from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation. Profs. Oscar Chilson, Daniel Kohl, and Robert Thach kindly reviewed early versions of this article, and two journal reviewers offered salient and helpful comments.
PY - 2005/10
Y1 - 2005/10
N2 - Most snakes and lizards produce eggs with flexible shells that interact with the environment to maintain water balance. Geckos produce rigid eggshells that are independent of an external source of water and can be oviposited in more open, dryer locations. In this study, we analyzed and compared the amino acid composition of 24 lizard species, six snake species, and four outgroups (including avian and reptilian elastin and chicken eggshell). Rigid Gecko eggshells had significantly lower levels of seven of the 17 amino acids evaluated. Multivariate analysis showed that proline was the most important amino acid in distinguishing between these two groups of eggshells, occurring at significantly higher levels in flexible eggshells. High levels of proline have also been observed in the eggshells of other species. Proline and other amino acids are associated with the alleviation of water and salt stress in plants.
AB - Most snakes and lizards produce eggs with flexible shells that interact with the environment to maintain water balance. Geckos produce rigid eggshells that are independent of an external source of water and can be oviposited in more open, dryer locations. In this study, we analyzed and compared the amino acid composition of 24 lizard species, six snake species, and four outgroups (including avian and reptilian elastin and chicken eggshell). Rigid Gecko eggshells had significantly lower levels of seven of the 17 amino acids evaluated. Multivariate analysis showed that proline was the most important amino acid in distinguishing between these two groups of eggshells, occurring at significantly higher levels in flexible eggshells. High levels of proline have also been observed in the eggshells of other species. Proline and other amino acids are associated with the alleviation of water and salt stress in plants.
KW - Amino acid analysis
KW - Eggshells
KW - Proline
KW - Squamate reptiles
KW - Water relations
KW - Water-soil relations
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U2 - 10.1007/s10886-005-7108-x
DO - 10.1007/s10886-005-7108-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16195850
AN - SCOPUS:26244467332
SN - 0098-0331
VL - 31
SP - 2391
EP - 2401
JO - Journal of Chemical Ecology
JF - Journal of Chemical Ecology
IS - 10
ER -