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Related Concept Videos

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
X and Y Chromosomes02:32

X and Y Chromosomes

Among mammals, the gender of an organism is determined by the sex chromosomes. Humans have two sex chromosomes, X and Y. Every human diploid cell has 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. A human female has two X chromosomes, while a male has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome.
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...
Dosage Compensation02:50

Dosage Compensation

In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
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 have...
The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness02:19

The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness

The Y chromosome is a sex chromosome found in several vertebrates and mammals, including humans. In addition to 22 pairs of autosomes, the human males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. In these organisms, the presence or absence of the Y chromosome determines the development of male traits.
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. Today,...
Gene Flow02:39

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A Novel Saturation Mutagenesis Approach: Single Step Characterization of Regulatory Protein Binding Sites in RNA Using Phosphorothioates
11:49

A Novel Saturation Mutagenesis Approach: Single Step Characterization of Regulatory Protein Binding Sites in RNA Using Phosphorothioates

Published on: August 21, 2018

Neo-sex Chromosomes Anchor a Sex-Limited Polymorphism Under Gene Flow.

Pietro Longo Hollanda de Mello, John K Kelly, Richard Elliott Glor

    Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
    |July 10, 2026
    PubMed
    Summary

    Neo-sex chromosomes help maintain color diversity in Anolis lizards by acting as non-recombining hubs for adaptive alleles, preserving traits despite gene flow and recombination.

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    Area of Science:

    • Evolutionary Biology
    • Genomics
    • Animal Behavior

    Background:

    • Maintaining phenotypic diversity against gene flow and recombination is a key evolutionary question.
    • While chromosomal inversions are known to facilitate local adaptation, the role of sex chromosomes is less understood.
    • Male-limited color polymorphisms offer insights into adaptation and sexual selection.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • Investigate the genetic basis of a color polymorphism in Anolis lizards.
    • Determine the role of sex chromosomes in local adaptation and phenotypic diversity.
    • Explore the interplay between visual signaling, environment, and genetic architecture.

    Main Methods:

    • Genomic analysis and association mapping in Anolis distichus.
    • Histological and chromatographic analyses of dewlap pigmentation.
    • Investigated neo-sex chromosome haplotypes and autosomal variants.

    Main Results:

    • A male-limited dewlap color polymorphism (yellow vs. orange) is strongly associated with a neo-sex chromosome.
    • Additive genetic architecture involving neo-Y haplotypes and autosomal genes explains color variation.
    • Evidence for simultaneous sensory adaptation with a copy number variant near an X-linked visual gene.

    Conclusions:

    • Degrading neo-sex chromosomes can serve as non-recombining regions for locally adaptive alleles.
    • This mechanism preserves phenotypic diversity in the face of homogenizing evolutionary forces.
    • Local light environment likely drives concerted adaptation of communication and sensory systems.