Why turtles hatch at the same time?

Scientists found that baby turtles were able to communicate with each other before hatching to be born together, according to New Scientist.

Ricky-John Spencer, an expert at the University of Western Sydney, said Australian river turtles ( Emydura macquarii ) lay eggs in a sand pit on the river bank. Eggs located in the colder part grow more slowly than their brothers, but all hatch at the same time.

To confirm this, Mr. Spencer took the same eggs and left half at low temperatures and the other half at high temperatures for two-thirds of the incubation period. When he gathered them in one place for a third of the rest of the time, previously colder eggs had "enlisted" the fast-growing time for all eggs to hatch at the same time.

Mr. Spencer said that eggs can communicate using chemical signs. 'An egg is actually breathing. They breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. If you have a lot of good growth eggs, there will be more CO2 in the nest , ' he said. CO ₂ accumulation can stimulate embryonic tortoises to develop speed of metabolism.

According to the expert, doing so is very meaningful in terms of evolution. Coordination of hatching time helps individual vulnerable young turtles to leave the nest in groups, reducing the risk of predatory predators.

The results of the study are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.