Modelling Development of Reptile Embryos under Fluctuating Temperature Regimes

A. Georges, K. Beggs, J. E. Young and J. S. Doody
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 78, 1, 18-30,
An increase in temperature, within bounds, will accelerate development of reptile embryos, and morphogenesis can be normal over a range of temperatures despite those varying rates of development. Less well understood is the form of the relationship that best describes variation in developmental rate with temperature. In this article, we apply a linear degree.hour model, an empirical curvilinear model, a biophysical model, and a polynomial model to data on rates of embryonic development and temperature in the pig-nosed turtle Carettochelys insculpta from northern Australia. The curvilinear models, which have been applied with success to development of insects, describe the embryonic development of turtles well.
http://aerg.canberra.edu.au/cgi-bin/pubs_archive.cgi?target=G