Frog Species With 6 Sex Chromosomes Offer New Clues on Evolution of Complex XY Systems
Published:19 Apr.2021 Source:Hiroshima University
Scientists found six sex chromosomes in the Odorrana swinhoana frog species endemic in Taiwan, giving new insights into how complex XY systems evolve.
The discovery was a surprise to the international research team led by Associate Professor Ikuo Miura of Hiroshima University's Amphibian Research Center. In 1980, the first reported instance of multiple sex chromosome systems in amphibians was found in the Taiwanese brown frog Raina narina--a synonym for O. swinhoana--which had a male-specific translocation between two chromosomes. Its sex chromosomes could be described as ♂X1Y1X2Y2-♀X1X1X2X2.