Meeting Abstract

P2-141    Urban and rural differences in sperm morphology and its associations with male quality in Side-blotched lizards Uta stansburiana Virgin, E/E*; Furtado, A/P; Sermersheim, L/O; Hudson, S/B; Smith, G/D; French, S/S; Utah State University; Universidade de Brasilia ; Utah State University; Utah State University; Utah State University; Utah State University emilyevirgin@gmail.com

Urbanization, or the rapid change and expansion of infrastructure, is subjecting organisms to novel stressors across our world. Stressors caused by urbanization may alter life-history traits, such as survival probability and reproductive output in order to maximize reproductive fitness. Morphological plasticity of gametes is a potential mechanism by which organisms may maximize reproductive success in unpredictable environments. Indeed, variation in sperm morphological traits (i.e., head size, mid-piece size, and tail length) is associated with fertilization success; however, these traits are susceptible to changes in the environment and can depend on an individual’s body condition, oxidative status, and population of origin. Hence, understanding the potential impacts that urbanization poses on reproduction is critical to the persistence of a species. In this study, we collected blood and semen samples from 86 male Side-blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana) across two urban and two rural sites in southwestern Utah. From the semen samples, we measured fixed and stained samples to test whether there are differences in sperm morphological characteristics between urban and rural populations. With each individual, we measured body condition, parasite load, throat patch coloration, and physiological markers to test whether aspects of male quality affects sperm morphology. Result presented from this study will fill a gap of knowledge regarding the potential impacts of urban development on male U. stansburiana reproductive characteristics.