Male Sex Chromosome Losing Genes By Rapid Evolution, Study Reveals
Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 23:14
in Biology & Nature
Scientists long have suspected that the sex chromosome that only males carry, the Y chromosome, is deteriorating. But until now, no one has understood the evolutionary processes that control this chromosome's demise. Now, scientists have discovered that the Y chromosome is evolving at a rapid rate, resulting in a dramatic loss of genes that eventually could lead to the chromosome's complete disappearance.