Slithering Toward Clarity: Snakes Shed New Light on the Evolution and Function of Sex Chromosomes

摘要

What makes males males, and females females? For the majority of animals, the answer lies in the sex chromosomes, which come in two distinct types, with the combination in which they are doled out determining the gender of the offspring. Most other traits are determined by genes found on matched pairs of chromosomes (“autosomes”), one from each parent, which, through dominant and recessive relationships and other genomic sleights of hand, provide a rich palette of possible traits for natural selection to work on.