At least two species of rodents have already jettisoned their
Y chromosomes entirely.
In mammals, the presence of the
Y chromosome determines male ness.
Losing the
Y chromosome in blood cells may bring on cancer and shorten men's lives, new research suggests.
As a result, the
Y chromosome retains a largely undisturbed record of mutations.
Using evidence from the distribution of the
Y Chromosomes, Jeffrey T.
"If we can get access to similar tools," such as an assay for the
Y chromosome of the Atlantic species (Salmo salar), he told SCIENCE NEWS, "we're definitely going to see if similar things are going on here."
"We don't know what selection and population structure are doing to the
Y chromosome," says geneticist Rosalind M.
Yet, she says, "they looked just the same" but carried special
Y chromosomes inherited from their mothers.
Moreover, most of these, called escapees, don't have a partner on the
Y chromosome. "Strict dosage compensation of all genes on the chromosome isn't necessary," concludes study coauthor Laura Carrel.
To test this idea, Theise and his colleagues used a natural biological marker, the
Y chromosome, which exists only in cells of males.
An egg fertilized by a sperm carrying a
Y chromosome becomes a boy.
The
Y chromosome passes solely from father to son, exactly like the cohen status.
