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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/14/sex-reversal-australian-birds-kookaburras-lorikeets>
"About 5% of common Australian wild birds including kookaburras and lorikeets
could have undergone a “sex reversal” where their genetic sex does not match
their reproductive organs, according to a new study.
The study is thought to be the first to find widespread sex reversal across
multiple wild bird species, but the cause of the phenomenon is not yet known.
The results suggest sex reversal is more common in wild birds than previously
thought, and have raised concerns about the potential impact of chemicals that
can disrupt hormones in animals.
Researchers tested 480 birds across five common species that had died after
being admitted to wildlife hospitals in south-east Queensland.
Researchers first used a DNA test to determine a bird’s genetic sex; in birds,
males have a pair of Z chromosomes and females have one Z and one W.
But after dissecting the birds, they found a mismatch between the DNA test and
the reproductive organs of 24 of the birds.
Associate Prof Dominique Potvin, a co-author of the research at the University
of the Sunshine Coast, said the team were deeply sceptical when the results
first came in.
“I was thinking, is this right?” she said. “So we rechecked, and rechecked and
rechecked. And then we were thinking, ‘Oh my God’.”
Potvin said she had revealed the results to ornithologist friends. “They were
mind-blown,” she said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
