Reproductive strategies in loggerhead sea turtle <i>Caretta caretta</i>: polyandry and polygyny in a Southwest Atlantic rookery.

ABSTRACT: Sea turtles are highly migratory and predominantly inhabit oceanic environments, which poses significant challenges to the study of their life cycles. Research has traditionally focused on nesting females, utilizing nest counts and mark-recapture methods, while male behavior remains understudied. To address this gap, previous studies have analyzed the genotypes of females and hatchlings to indirectly infer male genotypes and evaluate the extent of multiple paternity within populations. Our research aimed to investigate the presence of multiple paternity in loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nests for the first time in Brazil. We analyzed 534 hatchlings from 43 nests associated with 42 females during the 2017/18 to 2019/20 nesting seasons, using four highly polymorphic, species-spec

SUBMITTER: Amorim L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11720971 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature