1. Reproduction and Conservation
Kim Terrell
Jessa Madosky

2. Sea Turtle Sex Ratios Warmer temperatures favor females
Cooler temperatures favor males
85% of hatchlings in the southern US are female now
Global warming?

3. Sandtiger Shark Cannibalism
Grey nurse sharks lay eggs that hatch inside their uterus
The babies then eat each other to survive until birth
Only two are born – one from each uterus

4. What happens to the other one?
Giant Pandas
Give birth to 2 cubs…
… but only raise one!
What happens to the other one?
What happens in zoos?

5. Who gets the prize for longest sperm in the world?
The fruit fly!!!
(Drosophila bifurca)
Fly is 1.5mm, sperm is 60mm!
1000x longer than human sperm!
From Bjork and Pitnick, Nature 441, (8 June 2006)

6. Hooked on sperm…
The sperm from some rodents actually has a hook-shaped head!
House mouse
Norweigan rat
Rodent sperm from Immler et al., PLoS One online, 24 Jan 2007

7. Cheetah Conservation Namibia
Population in serious decline due to conflict with farmers
Poor reproduction in captivity

8. Ejaculation of >60% morphologically abnormal spermatozoa
Teratospermia
Ejaculation of >60% morphologically abnormal spermatozoa
Microcephalic,
tetra-flagellate
Normal sperm
Spermatid
(immature sperm)
Tetra-cephalic,
biflagellate
Abnormal acrosome,
bent midpiece, retained cytoplasmic droplet

9. Genome Resource Banking
Maintenance and preservation of genetic diversity in captive populations
‘Rescuing’ genes
Avoid translocations between breeding facilities
Avoid importations from the wild
Insurance against natural catastrophe

10. Horse Immunocontraception
Island environment with limited resources
Immunocontraception is used to reduce the number of horses that need to be removed and increase survival in mares

11. Immuno Wha?
Pig egg proteins injected cause a immunological response to a protein found on the egg
Antibodies are produced that bind to the sperm receptors on the egg
The sperm can’t bind to the egg so fertilization is prevented

12. Questions???