Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Aberrant Sex Chromosome Mechanisms in Mammals Evolutionary Aspects

Evolutionary Aspects

  • Chapter
Mechanisms of Gonadal Differentiation in Vertebrates

Abstract

There are a number of mammalian species with complicated or unknown mechanisms for sex determination. The literature is reviewed with special reference to the origin and evolution of the sex chromosome mechanisms in three species of monotremes and in the following species of rodents: the creeping vole (Microtus oregoni), the mole vole (Ellobius lutescens) the Amami spinous country rat (Tokudaia osimensis), the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor), the varying lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus), South American field mice (Akodon sp.), and the short-tailed bandicoot rat (Nesokia indica). Although this is a heterogeneous group with regard to their sex chromosomes, it is striking that among placental mammals only one order, Rodentia, and only two of its subfamilies, Micro-tinae and Murinae, are represented. Various reasons for this are discussed. Some of these species have proven to be excellent models for studies of fundamental processes involved in sex determination.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Arnason U (1972) The role of chromosomal rearrangements in mammalian speciation with special reference to Cetacea and Pinnipedia. Hereditas 70:113–118.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bengtsson BO (1977) Evolution of the sex ratio in the wood lemming, Myopus schisticolor. In: Christiansen FB, Fenchel TM (eds) Measuring selection in natural populations. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 333–343.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bianchi NO, Contreras J (1967) The chromosomes of the field mouse Akodon azarae (Cricetidae Rodentia) with special refer-ece to sex chromosome anomalies. Cytogenetics 6:303–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bianchi NO, Reig OA, Molina OJ, Dulout FN (1971) Cytogenetics of the South American akodont rodents (Cricetidae). I. A progress report of Argentinian and Venezuelan forms. Evolution 25:724–736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bianchi NO, Vidal-Rioja L, Bianchi MS (1976) Cytogenetics of the South American akodont rodents (Cricetidae). II. Interspecific homology of G-banding patterns. Cytologia 41:139–144.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bick YAE, Murtagh C, Sharman GB (1973) The chromosomes of an egg-laying mammal Tachyglossus aculeatus (the echidna). Cytobios 7:233–243.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Brown LN, Conaway CH (1964) A balanced lethal sex-chromosome system? J Heredit 55:7–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bull JJ, Bulmer MG (1981) The evolution of XY females in mammals. Heredity 47:347–365.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Carothers AD (1980) Population dynamics and the evolution of sex-determination in lemmings. Genet Res 36:199–209.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Castro-Sierra E, Wolf U (1967) Replication patterns of the unpaired chromosome No 9 of the rodent Ellobius lutescens Th. Cytogenetics 6:268–275.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Castro-Sierra E, Wolf U (1968) Studies on the male meiosis of Ellobius lutescens Th. Cytogenetics 7:241–248.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cattanach BM, Pollard CE, Hawkes SG (1971) Sex reversed mice: XX and XO males. Cytogenetics 10:318–327.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Corbet GB (1978) The mammals of the Palaearctic region: a taxonomic review. British Museum (Natural History). Cornell University Press, London Ithaca.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Fredga K (1970) Unusual sex chromosome inheritance in mammals. Phil Trans Roy Soc Lond [Biol] 259:15–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fredga K (1972) Comparative chromosome studies in mongooses (Carnivora, Viverridae). I. Idiograms of 12 species and karyotype evolution in Herpestinae. Hereditas 71:1–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Fredga K, Gropp A, Winking H, Frank F (1976) Fertile XX-and XY-type females in the wood lemming Myopus schisticolor. Nature 261:225–227.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Fredga K, Gropp A, Winking H, Frank F (1977) A hypothesis explaining the exceptional sex ratio in the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor). Hereditas 85:101–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Gileva EA (1980) Chromosomal diversity and an aberrant genetic system of sex determination in the arctic lemming, Dicros-tonyx torquatus Pallas (1779). Genetica 52/53:99–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gileva EA, Chebotar NA (1979) Fertile XO males and females in the varying lemming Dicrostonyx torquatus Pall. (1779). Heredity 42:67–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gileva EA, Benenson IE, Konopisteva LA, Puchkov VF, Mak-aranets IA (1982) XO females in varying lemming Dicrostonyx torquatus: reproductive performance and its evolutionary significance. Evolution 36:601–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Gropp A, Fredga K, Winking H, Frank F (1978) Regulation of sex chromosome constitution of somatic and germ cells in the wood lemming. Ann Biol Anim Biochim Biophys 18:367–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gropp A, Winking H, Frank F, Noack G, Fredga K (1976) Sex-chromosome aberrations in wood lemmings (Myopus schisticolor). Cytogenet Cell Genet 17:343–358.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Hayman DL, Martin PG (1969) Cytogenetics of marsupials. In: Benirschke K (ed) Comparative mammalian cytogenetics. Springer Verlag, New York, p 191–217.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hayman D, Sharp P (1981) Verification of the structure of the complex sex chromosome system in Lagorchestes conspicil-latus Gould (Marsupialia: Mammalia). Chromosoma 83:263–274.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Herbst EW, Fredga K, Frank F, Winking H, Gropp A (1978) Cytological identification of two X-chromosome types in the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor). Chromosoma 69:185–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Honda T, Suzuki H, Itoh M (1977) An unusual sex chromosome constitution found in the Amami spinous country-rat, Tokudaia osimensis osimensis. Japan J Genetics 52:247–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Honda T, Suzuki H, Itoh M, Hayashi K (1978) Karyotypical differences of the Amami spinous country-rats, Tokudaia osimensis osimensis obtained from two neighbouring islands. Japan J Genetics 53:297–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Jhanwar SC, Rao SRV (1973) Polymorphism in the Y chromosome of the short-tailed bandicoot rat, Nesokia indica. In: Wahrman J, Lewis KR (eds) Chromosomes today, vol 4. John Wiley&Sons, New York, Toronto; Israel Universities Press, Jerusalem, p 379–382.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kamali M (1975) Karyotype and sex-chromosome polymorphism in Nesokia indica from Iran. Mammal Chromos Newslett 16:165–167.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Kowalski K (1977) Fossil lemmings (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the Pliocene and early Pleistocene of Poland. Acta Zool Cracoviensia 22:297–317.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Kozlovskii AI (1974) Karyological differentiation of North American subspecies of hoofed lemmings. Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR 219:981–984.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Lyapunova EA, Vorontsov NN, Zakarjan GG (1975) Zygotic mortality in Ellobius lutescens (Rodentia: Microtinae). Exper-ientia 31:417–418.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Matthey R (1953) La formule chromosomique et 1e problème de 1a détermination sexuelle chez Ellobius lutescens (Thomas) (Rodentia-Muridae-Microtinae). Arch Julius Klaus-Stift Vererb Forsch 28:65–73.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Matthey R (1964) Etudes sur les chromosomes d’Ellobius lutescens (Mammalia-Muridae-Microtinae). II. Informations com-plémentaires sur les divisions méiotiques. Rev Suisse Zool 71:401–410.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Maynard Smith J, Stenseth NC (1978) On the evolutionary stability of the female-biased sex ratio in the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor): the effect of inbreeding. Heredity 41:205–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Maza LM de la, Sawyer JR (1976) The G and Q banding pattern of Ellobius lutescens. A unique case of sex determination in mammals. Can J Genet Cytol 18:497–502.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Murtagh CE (1977) A unique cytogenetic system in mono-tremes. Chromosoma 65:37–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Murtagh CE, Sharman GB (1977) Chromosomal sex determination in monotremes. In: Calaby JH, Tyndale-Biscoe CH (eds) Reproduction and evolution. Fourth Int Symp Comp Biol of Reproduction. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, p 61–66

    Google Scholar 

  39. Nagai Y, Ohno S (1977) Testis-determining H-Y antigen in XO males of the mole vole (Ellobius lutescens). Cell 10:729–732.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. O W, Short RV (1977) Sex determination and differentiation in mammalian germ cells. Birth Defects 13:1–12.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Ohno S (1967) Sex chromosomes and sex-linked genes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Ohno S (1979) Major sex determining genes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Ohno S, Jainchill J, Stenius C (1963) The creeping vole (Micro-tus oregoni) as a gonosomic mosaic. I. The OY/XY constitution of the male. Cytogenetics 2:232–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Ohno S, Beçak W, Beçak ML (1964) X-autosome ratio and the behavior pattern of individual X-chromosomes in placental mammals. Chromosoma 15:14–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Ohno S, Stenius C, Christian L (1966) The XO as the normal female of the creeping vole (Microtus oregoni). In: Darlington CD, Lewis KR (eds) Chromosomes today, vol 1. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh London, p 182–187.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Rausch RL, Rausch VR (1972) Observations on chromosomes of Dicrostonyx torquatus stevensoni Nelson and chromosomal diversity in varying lemmings. Z Säugetierkunde 37:372–384.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Rausch RL, Rausch VR (1975) Taxonomy and zoogeography of Lemmus spp (Rodentia: Arvicolinae), with notes on laboratory-reared lemmings. Z Säugetierkunde 40:8–34.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Reig OA, Kiblisky P (1968) Chromosomes in four species of rodents of the genus Ctenomys (Rodentia, Octodontidae) from Argentina. Experientia 24:274–276.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Reig OA, Kiblisky P (1969) Chromosome multiformity in the genus Ctenomys (Rodentia, Octodontidae). Chromosoma 28:211–244.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Schmid W (1967) Heterochromatin in mammals. Arch Julius Klaus-Stift Vererb Forsch 42:1–60.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Stenseth NC (1978) Is the female biased sex ratio in wood lemming Myopus schisticolor maintained by cyclic inbreeding? Oikos 30:83–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Tsuchiya K, Yosida TH (1971) Chromosome survey of small mammals in Japan. Annual Report National Institute of Genetics 21:54–55.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Vorontsov NN, Lyapunova EA, Borissov YUM, Dovgal VE (1980) Variability of sex chromosomes in mammals. Genetica 52/53:361–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. White MJD (1957) An interpretation of the unique sex chromosome mechanism of the rodent Ellobius lutescens. Proc zool Soc Calcutta, Mookerjee Mem Vol 113-114.

    Google Scholar 

  55. White MJD (1960) Are there no mammal species with XO males—and if not, why not? Am Nat 94:301–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Wiberg U, Mayerová A, Müller U, Fredga K, Wolf U (1982) Y-linked genes of the H-Y antigen system in the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor). Human Genet 60:163–166.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Winking H, Gropp A, Fredga K (1981) Sex determination and phenotype in wood lemmings with XXY and related karyotypic anomalies. Human Genet 58:98–104.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Wolf M, Schempp W, Vogel W (1979) Ellobius lutescens Th. (Rodentia, Microtinae): Q-, R-, and replication banding patterns. Cytogenet Cell Genet 23:117–123.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Uppsala, Box 7003, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    Karl Fredga

Authors
  1. Karl Fredga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1983 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fredga, K. (1983). Aberrant Sex Chromosome Mechanisms in Mammals Evolutionary Aspects. In: Mechanisms of Gonadal Differentiation in Vertebrates. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69150-8_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69150-8_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-12480-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-69150-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation