Universal traits spotted in early evolution of sex chromosomes

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified unifying features in the early evolution of X and Y chromosomes. Newly evolved sex chromosomes in three fruit fly species showed the same genetic compensation ...

Highly dynamic sex chromosomes in cichlid fishes

The cichlids of Lake Tanganyika in Africa are highly diverse—including with regard to sex chromosomes. These have changed extremely frequently in the course of the evolution of these fish and, depending on the species, ...

Evolutionary 'arms race' may help keep cell division honest

Eggs and sperm are special cells for many reasons, but one of the characteristics that sets them apart is that unlike other human cells, which have two copies of 23 chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father, ...

When determining sex, exceptions are the rule

For nearly a century, biologists have modeled the evolution of sex chromosomes—the genetic instructions that primarily determine whether an individual will develop into a male or female (or a certain mating type)—resulting ...

New insights into evolution: Why genes appear to move around

Scientists at Uppsala University have proposed an addition to the theory of evolution that can explain how and why genes move on chromosomes. The hypothesis, called the SNAP Hypothesis, is presented in the scientific journal ...

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