Germinal bed condition in a polyautochronic single-clutched lizard, Bassiana duperreyi (Scincidae)

Abstract

In lizards, the eggs are produced within small regions of the ovary known as germinal beds (GBs); previous literature suggests that the number of GBs per ovary may be linked to life-history traits such as clutch size and breeding frequency. In the oviparous montane Australian skink Bassiana duperreyi, females produce a single clutch of 3 to 11 eggs each year. Our histological examination of ovaries of this species revealed a single GB per ovary. In combination with previous studies, our results suggest that scincid lizards may offer ideal model systems to explore the functional link between ovarian morphology and life-history traits in lizards. © 2007 Brill Academic Publishers.