Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination
When the temperature of an egg decides whether the baby will be male or female.
What is it?
Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a process where the sex of an animal is not determined by chromosomes (like in humans), but by the temperature during egg incubation. In American alligators, higher nest temperatures produce males, while lower temperatures produce females. This also happens in many turtles and some lizards.
Why it matters
TSD is important because climate change could affect the sex ratio of these animals. If temperatures rise too much, there might be too many males or too many females, which could threaten the species.
Where you've seen it
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