Abstract
We present the first data collected on the genetic mating system of the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata, the only marine turtle not studied to date. We examined paternity within 12 egg clutches from ten female hawksbill turtles from Sabah Turtle Islands, Malaysia. A total of 375 hatchlings were analysed using five microsatellite markers. Results demonstrated that clutches from two out of ten females were sired by multiple males (maximum of two). Although at a low frequency, observation of multiple paternity indicates that hawksbill turtles exhibit the same genetic mating system (polyandry) as observed for other species of marine turtles. Consistent paternity across multiple clutches laid by individual females in one breeding season supports the hypothesis that sperm are stored from mating prior to nesting and are then used to fertilize all subsequent clutches of eggs that season.
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Acknowledgments
We gratefully thank the Director of Sabah Parks, Mr. Paul Basintal for approving the project and providing logistical support and accommodation throughout the study. Sample collection would not have been possible without the help and support from the staff of Sabah Turtle Islands Park, Malaysia. This research was funded by Royal Holloway University of London, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and a scholarship to Juanita Joseph from the Public Service Department of Malaysia. Special thanks to the Fisheries Department of Malaysia and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom for approving the CITES permit (permit no: MY FSHQ/226/04).
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Joseph, J., Shaw, P.W. Multiple paternity in egg clutches of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Conserv Genet 12, 601–605 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0168-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0168-7