Meeting Abstract
Developmental hypoxia has been established as a powerful stimulus that induces phenotypic change in organism. Further, in species the routinely experience this developmental challenge, hypoxic exposure may alter the maturation of traits resulting in an advantageous phenotype in the juvenile and adult. American alligator embryos have been documented to experience bouts of hypoxia during the incubation period, indicating this is a relevant challenge for the species. Prior studies have demonstrated the developmental hypoxia alters the phenotype of embryonic alligators however the lasting impact post hatching is largely unknown. In this study we investigated the impact of developmental hypoxic on ventilation and metabolic function of America alligators 2 yrs post hatching. In this study we investigated the impact of developmental hypoxic on ventilation and metabolic function of juvenile America alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Measurements consisted of ventilation frequency, apneic periods, oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production in animals that were incubation in 21% or 10% oxygen. Our preliminary assessment suggests hypoxic incubated juvenile alligators exhibit greater ventilator frequency with shorter periods of apnea. These findings suggest ventilation patterns are established during the embryonic period and exhibit developmental phenotypic plasticity.
