Meeting Abstract

P1.12  Jan. 4  Phallic development in a sexually temperature dependent sensitive vertebrate BRYAN, Teresa A*; GUILLETTE, Louis J.; University of Florida; University of Florida tbryan@zoo.ufl.edu

The development of external genitalia in vertebrates has been poorly studied until rather recently. A number of studies have demonstrated that the development of the vertebrate phallus appears to occur in two major phases; the initial androgen independent phase of genital tubercle initiation and growth (irrespective of gender) followed by an androgen dependent phase that includes the sexual differentiation of males and females. By describing phallic development and differentiation in alligators, (a species with temperature dependent sexual differentiation) we are afforded the ability to evaluate how genital anomalies could occur in this and other species. In this study, we document development and differentiation of male and female alligator embryos and neonates through scanning electron microscopy, histology, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The research presented includes subsets of data from the above-named methods.