Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2025

Dissection of Larval Zebrafish Gonadal Tissue
Published on: April 26, 2017
Yes, polygenic sex determination is a thing!
Thomas D Kocher1, Richard P Meisel2, Tony Gamble3
1Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
Abstract:
The process of sexual development in animals is modulated by a variety of mechanisms. Some species respond to environmental cues, while, in others, sex determination is thought to be controlled by a single 'master regulator' gene. However, many animals respond to a combination of environmental cues (e.g., temperature) and genetic factors (e.g., sex chromosomes). Even among species in which genetic factors predominate, there is a continuum between monofactorial and polygenic systems. The perception that polygenic systems are rare may result from experiments that lack the statistical power to detect multiple loci. Intellectual biases against the existence of polygenic sex determination (PSD) may further arise from misconceptions about the regulation of developmental processes and a misreading of theoretical results on the stability of polygenic systems of sex determination.
Related Concept Videos
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
Dosage Compensation
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
X and Y Chromosomes
The germline cells such as egg and sperm cells carry only half the number of chromosomes, i.e., 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome. All eggs have an X chromosome, while sperm cells can carry an X or...
Polygenic Traits
The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness
Evolution
Around 300 million years ago, the two sex chromosomes diverged from two identical autosomal chromosomes. Over time, the Y chromosome has lost most of its genes, shrinking in size....
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...

