Octopuses might have the oldest sex chromosomes in the animal kingdom. Scientists recently found out that these creatures have a way to determine their sex written in their genes. The discovery was made by researchers at the University of Oregon.
They studied the genes of a California two-spot octopus and found a special chromosome pair. Males have two Z chromosomes, while females have only one. This system is different from humans, where females have two X chromosomes and males have one X and one Y chromosome.
By comparing the genomes of different cephalopods, scientists discovered that the Z chromosome has been around for over 480 million years. This makes it one of the oldest sex chromosomes known. The findings suggest that octopuses could be valuable for studying how sex chromosomes have evolved over time.
The research was published in the journal Current Biology.
Vocabulary List:
- Chromosomes /ˈkroʊ.məˌsoʊmz/ (noun): Structures within cells that contain DNA and genetic information.
- Genomes /ˈdʒiː.noʊmz/ (noun): The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.
- Cephalopods /ˈsɛf.ə.ləˌpɒdz/ (noun): A class of marine animals that includes octopuses squids and cuttlefish.
- Discover /dɪsˈkʌv.ər/ (verb): To find out information or something previously unknown.
- Ancient /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/ (adjective): Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence.
- Evolved /ɪˈvɑːlvd/ (verb): Developed gradually especially from a simple to a more complex form.
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