Scientists at the Setagaya-ku National Research Institute of Child Health and Development in Tokyo have discovered that humans and many mammals begin to degenerate the male sex chromosome Y. At the same time, humans can survive without it. Research results published in the journal PNAS.
Most mammals have two sex chromosomes, X and Y. Males carry the XY set while females carry the XX set. It is the second Y chromosome that carries the SRY genes that “activate” the development of the male reproductive organs in the embryo leading to the birth of a male.
According to scientists, in some animals, the Y chromosome loses some of its genes and disappears completely. The same thing happens with humans, which leads to its complete disappearance within a few million years.
“The good news is that we know of two rodent lineages that have already lost their Y chromosomes and are still surviving. These are the voles from Eastern Europe and the spiny mice from Japan. New strains of these animals have emerged that have only X chromosomes in their males and females,” he said. said.
The researchers found that many of the spiny mice’s Y genes moved to other chromosomes. At the same time, the SPY gene was lost and the SOX9 gene set began to function.
“In humans, the Y chromosome is also reduced, which is evolutionarily inevitable. And this raises the question of how to give birth to men. This could bring the end of humanity. Of course, like other species, we can develop new genes, but what if these genes are different all over the world? This could lead to the emergence of new human species,” the researchers explained.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.