In recent years, observations of distinct organisms have linked the quality of the environment experienced by a given individual and the sex it will develop. In most described cases, facing relatively harsh conditions resulted in masculinization, while thriving in favorable conditions promoted the development of an ovary. This was shown indistinctively in some species presenting a genetic sex determination (GSD), which were able to sex-reverse, and in species with an environmental sex determination (ESD) system. However, this pattern strongly depends on evolutionary constrains and is detected only when females need more energy for reproduction. Here, I describe the mechanisms involved in this environmentally driven sex allocation (EDSA), which involves two main energy pathways, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. These pathways act through various enzymes and are not necessarily independent of the previously known transducers of environmental signals in species with ESD: calcium–redox, epigenetic, and stress regulation pathways. Overall, there is evidence of a link between energy level and the sexual fate of individuals of various species, including reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects, and nematodes. As energy pathways are evolutionarily conserved, this knowledge opens new avenues to advance our understanding of the mechanisms that allow animals to adapt their sex according to the local environment.

近年来，对不同生物的观察将特定个体所经历的环境质量与其将发展的性别联系起来。在大多数描述的情况下，面对相对恶劣的条件会导致男性化，而在有利的条件下茁壮成长会促进卵巢的发育。这在一些具有遗传性别决定（GSD）的物种（能够进行性别逆转）和具有环境性别决定（ESD）系统的物种中表现得不明显。然而，这种模式在很大程度上取决于进化限制，并且只有在雌性需要更多能量进行繁殖时才会被发现。在这里，我描述了这种环境驱动的性别分配（EDSA）所涉及的机制，它涉及两个主要的能量途径，脂质和碳水化合物代谢。这些途径通过各种酶起作用，不一定独立于先前已知的 ESD 物种中的环境信号传感器：钙氧化还原、表观遗传和压力调节途径。总体而言，有证据表明能量水平与各种物种个体的性命运之间存在联系，包括爬行动物、鱼类、两栖动物、昆虫和线虫。由于能量通路在进化上是保守的，这一知识开辟了新的途径，以促进我们对允许动物根据当地环境适应其性别的机制的理解。有证据表明，能量水平与各种物种个体的性命运之间存在联系，包括爬行动物、鱼类、两栖动物、昆虫和线虫。由于能量通路在进化上是保守的，这一知识开辟了新的途径，以促进我们对允许动物根据当地环境适应其性别的机制的理解。有证据表明，能量水平与各种物种个体的性命运之间存在联系，包括爬行动物、鱼类、两栖动物、昆虫和线虫。由于能量通路在进化上是保守的，这一知识开辟了新的途径，以促进我们对允许动物根据当地环境适应其性别的机制的理解。