How a Female Gene Became the Master Switch for Maleness in Tilapia

Tilapia evolved a male master sex gene, figlaY, from figla — a gene that normally builds ovaries.

figlaY is a truncated copy that jams the female pathway instead of running it, flipping the fish to male.

Jumping genes (transposons) cut, copied and rewired the gene to create the new male switch.

The same male gene spread across several cichlid species through ancient interbreeding (introgression).

It's the first known case of a female-pathway gene being repurposed into a male sex determiner.

Read the full story on GeneralNews Read full article →