menu
  • expo
  • expo
  • login Sign in
Office of Undergraduate Research Home » 2019 Undergraduate Research Symposium Schedules

Found 1 project

Poster Presentation 1

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Environmental and Social Aspects of Sex Determination in the Annual Killifish Austofundulus limnaeus
Presenter
  • Motutama Sipelii, Senior, Health Science, Biology, Portland State University McNair Scholar
Mentors
  • Jason Podrabsky, Biology, Portland State University
  • Erin Davis, Biology, Portland State University
Session
    Poster Session 1
  • MGH 206
  • Easel #176
  • 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

  • Other Health Science major students (2)
  • Other Biology major students (22)
Environmental and Social Aspects of Sex Determination in the Annual Killifish Austofundulus limnaeusclose

Fluctuating temperature patterns due to climate change could negatively impact the survival of species whose sex is determined by environmental cues rather than genetic factors. Species whose sex is determined by ecological cues or social interactions fall under the Environmental Sex Determination (ESD) category, while the Genetic Sex Determination (GSD) category includes species whose sex is determined by genotype at conception. There are numerous published examples of teleost fish species that rely on ecological factors for sex determination, but no studies have explored the extent to which the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus, a species without sex chromosomes, relies on ESD. A. limnaeus inhabit ephemeral ponds in Venezuela, South America that experience extreme daily fluctuating temperatures. Climate change could affect this delicate lifecycle by disrupting seasonal temperature patterns that alter sex ratios or exposure to temperatures beyond their tolerance range. Therefore, it is essential to determine what impact temperature and social interaction may have on sex determination in developing A. limnaeus. To explore ESD, A. limnaeus larvae were exposed to constant temperatures of 20 and 30°C, and a daily fluctuating temperature regime from 20-30°C from hatching until the display of secondary sexual characteristics. Some fish were grown in isolation while others were grown in small groups. Fish grown in isolation at 30°C exhibited female-biased sex ratios with 64% developing as females whereas 69% in 20°C and 61% in fluctuating temperatures exhibited male-biased sex ratios. Ongoing experiments are being conducted to explore the possible interaction between temperature and social cues for determining the sex in this species. A. limnaeus has a relatively higher tolerance to fluctuating temperatures due to their ephemeral pond environment, and thus represents an opportunity to explore how even the most tolerant of species may respond to global climate change, especially in the context of ESD.


filter_list Find Presenters

Use the search filters below to find presentations you’re interested in!













CLEAR FILTERS
filter_list Find Mentors

Search by mentor name or select a department to see all students with mentors in that department.





CLEAR FILTERS

Copyright © 2007–2026 University of Washington. Managed by the Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity, a unit of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. For disability accommodations, please visit the Disability Services Office (DSO) website or contact dso@uw.edu.