Turtle sex determination is all over the map. Others, like the spiny softshell turtle, use the ZZ/ZW system where an individual with two different sex chromosomes is female, not male. However, most turtles dispense with sex chromosomes altogether, letting the environmental temperature determine the sex of their offspring. That’s because primary cilia dysfunctions have been implicated in a number of diseases, including cancer. By uncovering their apparently robust role in turtle sex development, we can better understand how they work in our own bodies (and what happens when they don’t).