Embryos in the fast lane: high-temperature heart rates of turtles decline after hatching.
In ectotherms such as turtles, the relationship between cardiovascular function and temperature may be subject to different selective pressures in different life-history stages.Because embryos benefit by developing as rapidly as possible, and can "afford" to expend energy to do so (because they have access to the yolk for Stair Arm Wheel nutrition)