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Sex determination

Birds do it with a Z gene

The gene that determines sex in birds has eluded scientists for a decade. Now this all-important locus is revealed as a gene on the Z chromosome known for its proclivity for determining sex in all kinds of animals.

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Figure 1: Evolution of vertebrate sex chromosomes and sex-determining genes.

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Marshall Graves, J. Birds do it with a Z gene. Nature 461, 177–178 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/461177a

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