Did Homo sapiens speciate on the Y chromosome?
It is hypothesised that the critical change (a saltation") in the transition from a precursor hominid to modern Homo sapiens occurred in a gene for cerebral lateralisation located on the Y chromosome in a block of sequences that had earlier transposed from the X. Sexual selection acting upon an...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2000
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| Summary: | It is hypothesised that the critical change (a saltation") in the transition from a precursor hominid to modern Homo sapiens occurred in a gene for cerebral lateralisation located on the Y chromosome in a block of sequences that had earlier transposed from the X. Sexual selection acting upon an X-Y homologous gene to determine the relative rates of development of the hemispheres across the anteroposterior axis ("cerebral torque") allowed language to evolve as a species-specific mate recognition system. Human evolution may exemplify a general role for sex chromosomal change in speciation events in sexually reproducing organisms. |
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