The composition of egg yolks and neonates of the viviparous lizard, Pseudem
oia pagenstecheri, one of the most placentotrophic reptiles studied to date
, are described. Neonates (43.3 +/- 5.2 mg) have twice the dry mass of the
initial eggs (22.0 +/- 1.9 mg). The protein content of neonates (29.1 +/- 1
.1 mg) is more than twice that of eggs (12.2 +/- 1.1 mg), while the energy
content (908.1 +/- 107.4 J) is 1.6 times higher than that of the egg (565.0
+/- 42.9 J). The energy densities of eggs (27.5 kJ g(-1)) and neonates (23
.1 +/- 0.3 kJ g(-1)) are similar to the energy densities of eggs and neonat
es of oviparous species. The total ash per neonate (4.1 +/- 0.4 mg is three
times greater than that of the egg contents (1.4 +/- 0.2). Neonates contai
n significantly more calcium, sodium and potassium, but not magnesium, than
do eggs. Thus, the placenta has a quantitatively important role in supplyi
ng nutrients for the embryo. The proportions of triacylglycerol (66%), phos
pholipid (19%), and free cholesterol (5%) in the eggs are similar to those
in eggs of birds and crocodilians, but the proportion of cholesteryl esters
(7%) is much higher in eggs of P. pagenstecheri. The proportion of docosah
exaenoic acid in the egg phospholipid is relatively low (1.4%) but rises to
5.4% in the neonate. The eggs contain vitamin E (mainly in the form of alp
ha-tocopherol) and vitamin A, but no detectable carotenoids. The overall co
mposition of the eggs is not substantially different from that of oviparous
species, suggesting that the small egg size relative to neonate size is a
result of a reduction in egg size rather than modification by omission of s
ome nutrients from the yolk. The pattern of placental nutrient provision of
P. pagenstecheri contains both an obligate and a facultative component sug
gesting that enhancement of offspring quality through facultative placentot
rophy is a general characteristic of placental reptiles independent of patt
ern of embryonic nutrient provision.