There is increasing concern about feminization of sea turtle populations resulting from female-biased production of hatchlings due to climate change and selective loss of males from other anthropogenic drivers. Extreme female-biased breeding populations would reduce the likelihood of successful mating and potentially result in high rates of infertile eggs. Infertile eggs are those in which none of the events between sperm penetration of the ovum and syngamy have occurred. Distinguishing between fertile and infertile eggs is challenging, especially in field conditions, and researchers often have relied on physical evidence gathered from unhatched eggs at the end of the incubation period, which likely have experienced tissue decomposition. We argue that infertility in sea turtle eggs can be demonstrated only by the absence of holes caused by sperm penetration of the inner perivitelline membrane; sperm bound between the inner and outer perivitelline membranes; nuclei in the blastodisc; embryonic tissue or membranes in egg contents; and/or the characteristic white spot on the egg exterior. Unhatched eggs can be examined at the end of the incubation period, but we recommend that studies specifically investigating infertility examine at least 20 oviposited eggs each from clutches laid by at least 20 different turtles at the peak of the nesting season.

中文翻译：

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评估“不育”海龟蛋的证据

由于气候变化和其他人为驱动因素导致雄性选择性丧失，海龟的雌性偏向性生产导致海龟种群的女性化越来越受到关注。极端偏向雌性的繁殖种群会降低成功交配的可能性，并可能导致卵子不育率高。不孕卵是指在精子穿透卵子和一夫一妻之间没有发生任何事件的卵。区分受精卵和未受精卵具有挑战性，尤其是在野外条件下，研究人员通常依赖于从孵化期结束时未孵化的卵中收集的物证，这些卵可能已经经历了组织分解。我们认为，海龟卵的不孕症只能通过精子穿透卵黄周膜造成的孔不存在来证明；精子结合在内膜和外膜之间；胚盘中的细胞核；鸡蛋内容物中的胚胎组织或膜；和/或鸡蛋外表的特征性白点。可以在孵化期结束时检查未孵化的卵，但我们建议专门调查不孕症的研究检查至少 20 个产卵，每个卵来自至少 20 只不同海龟在筑巢季节高峰时产下的窝。和/或鸡蛋外表的特征性白点。可以在孵化期结束时检查未孵化的卵，但我们建议专门调查不孕症的研究检查至少 20 个产卵，每个卵来自至少 20 只不同海龟在筑巢季节高峰时产下的窝。和/或鸡蛋外表的特征性白点。可以在孵化期结束时检查未孵化的卵，但我们建议专门调查不孕症的研究检查至少 20 个产卵，每个卵来自至少 20 只不同海龟在筑巢季节高峰时产下的窝。