Are Sex-Biased Genes More Dispensible?

Females and males of many animals look very different, and most of these differences are due to different expression levels of the same genes.



So-called sex-biased genes have several peculiar evolutionary properties suggesting they are less important to survival than other genes, and in this opinion we lay out the evidence to support this hypothesis.



Further testing will be needed to confirm whether sex-biased genes are more dispensable, but if the notion is true, it will be important in understanding how and why males and females differ from each other.



Journal of the Royal Society Interface


Journal of the Royal Society Interface is the Society's cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences. It offers rapidity, visibility and high-quality peer review and is ranked fifth in JCR's multidisciplinary category. The journal also incorporates Interface Focus, a peer-reviewed, themed supplement, each issue of which concentrates on a specific cross-disciplinary subject.


Journal of the Royal Society Interface