Men are slowly losing their Y chromosome, but a new sex gene discovery in spiny rats brings hope for humanity
- Written by: Jenny Graves, Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
X and Y chromosome.Nathan Devery/ShutterstockThe sex of human and other mammal babies is decided by a male-determining gene on the Y chromosome. But the human Y chromosome is degenerating and may disappear in a few million years, leading to our extinction unless we evolve a new sex gene.
The good news is two branches of rodents have already lost...