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Sex Chromosome Specialization and Degeneration in Mammals
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Abstract
Sex chromosomes--particularly the human Y--have been a source of fascination for decades
because of their unique transmission patterns and their peculiar cytology. The outpouring
of genomic data confirms that their atypical structure and gene composition break
the rules of genome organization, function, and evolution. The X has been shaped by
dosage differences to have a biased gene content and to be subject to inactivation
in females. The Y chromosome seems to be a product of a perverse evolutionary process
that does not select the fittest Y, which may cause its degradation and ultimate extinction.