Leopard gecko study clarifies how temperature shapes sex development

In reptiles, a simple temperature change can determine whether an egg develops into a male or female. This process is formally known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which the sex of an embryo is determined by the temperature it experiences during a specific window of development known as the temperature-sensitive period. For example, in American alligators, incubation at around 30 °C typically produces females, while temperatures near 33 °C produce males, although extremely high temperatures can again result in females.