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Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

bbc.com

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Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#41

Post by buildbot »

derefr wrote: post #39

So, in what other species can "bilateral gynandromorphism" occur? I'm not having much success googling this. Also, is this just a specific type of genetic mosaicism? I've heard of humans with mosaic DNA (sometimes showing up as patches of alternative skin/hair coloration, etc.); but for some reason I've never heard of humans with mosaic DNA of two different chromosomal sexes.

I believe humans actually, I just stumbled upon this infographic today : https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/164FE...

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#42

Post by eyelidlessness »

derefr wrote: post #39

So, in what other species can "bilateral gynandromorphism" occur? I'm not having much success googling this. Also, is this just a specific type of genetic mosaicism? I've heard of humans with mosaic DNA (sometimes showing up as patches of alternative skin/hair coloration, etc.); but for some reason I've never heard of humans with mosaic DNA of two different chromosomal sexes.

Most if not all species with biological sex presentation. Binary sex characteristics are an abstraction and extend beyond a specific set of chromosomes (which also present more non-binary configurations). Most humans and other sexed animals bunch up on one side or the other but it’s still a convenience rather than an either/or fact.

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#43

Post by elil17 »

Blikkentrekker wrote: post #29
Karawebnetwork wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you hear a pronoun mix like he/they, that's usually shorthand for "I use both he/him/his and they/them/theirs pronouns."

I understand the need for “he/they”; I do not understand the need for “he/him” opposed to simply “he”. If I see “he”, I and everyone else I would gather, would certainly assume that the object pronoun congruates.

I think the original reason was for neopronouns, or pronouns that were recently invented. At some point there was quite a push to have a dedicated gender neutral singular (I believe it was ze/zir/zir/zirs/zirself) and so people who were using those pronouns listed them all out so people would know all the different forms.

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#44

Post by [deleted] »

eyelidlessness wrote: post #42
derefr wrote: post #39

So, in what other species can "bilateral gynandromorphism" occur? I'm not having much success googling this. Also, is this just a specific type of genetic mosaicism? I've heard of humans with mosaic DNA (sometimes showing up as patches of alternative skin/hair coloration, etc.); but for some reason I've never heard of humans with mosaic DNA of two different chromosomal sexes.

Most if not all species with biological sex presentation. Binary sex characteristics are an abstraction and extend beyond a specific set of chromosomes (which also present more non-binary configurations). Most humans and other sexed animals bunch up on one side or the other but it’s still a convenience rather than an either/or fact.

[deleted]

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#45

Post by walnut_eater »

pcurve wrote: post #27

A different cardinal with the same condition, but with more distinct coloring. Half white, half colored https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/northern-c... really interesting!

Could it be the same cardinal at a different time of year?

I'm not sure whether or not they are migratory.

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#46

Post by mod »

derefr wrote: post #39

So, in what other species can "bilateral gynandromorphism" occur? I'm not having much success googling this. Also, is this just a specific type of genetic mosaicism? I've heard of humans with mosaic DNA (sometimes showing up as patches of alternative skin/hair coloration, etc.); but for some reason I've never heard of humans with mosaic DNA of two different chromosomal sexes.

> Not much is known about the unusual phenomenon, but this sexual split has been reported among birds, reptiles, butterflies and crustaceans.

From an article linked in another comment: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/science/cardinal-sex-gend...

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#47

Post by jijji »

Karawebnetwork wrote: post #24
spodek wrote: post #14

Hard not to wonder if the endocrine disrupting chemicals we haven't banned but are changing sexes of many species, likely including ourselves, contributed.

This is not an endocrine disruption but a genetic condition.

unfortunately, endocrine disruptors causes genetic conditions that mutate through offspring of future generations [1]...

[1] https://www.axios.com/falling-sperm-count-endocrine-disrupti...

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#49

Post by jijji »

spodek wrote: post #14

Hard not to wonder if the endocrine disrupting chemicals we haven't banned but are changing sexes of many species, likely including ourselves, contributed.

It's ironic how the most insightful comments on this site get the most downvotes. As if endocrine disrupting chemicals in the enivronment are not a possible contributing factor, and the eventual downfall and extinction of most if not all species. [1]

[1] https://www.axios.com/falling-sperm-count-endocrine-disrupti...

Re: Rare 'half-male, half-female' cardinal photographed in Pennsylvania

#50

Post by withmorten »

waiseristy wrote: post #6
brandonmenc wrote: post #2

Another one? I'm originally from that part of the country, and I swear my mom sends me a story like this every couple of years. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/science/cardinal-sex-gend...

I think the authors description of this being one-in-a-million must be pretty accurate then!

Well, we all know that one-in-a-million chances crop up nine times out of ten.
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