Decode the bisexual chicken phenomenon

They tend to attract males and do not respond to the attractiveness of females.

Scientists began to pay more attention to the gender division of chickens when roosters with special shapes were discovered during farm visits.

The chickens have crests, one side is white, the meat is wide and has chest muscles, while the other half is small and darker. According to the explanation of scientists, half of their bodies carry female sex cells, the other half are male sex cells. They use the term gynandromorph (bisexual) to refer to these chickens, but in fact, they tend to be gay and not fertile.

Development biologist Michael Clinton from Edinburgh University (Roslin, Scotland), the leader of the research team, tested their sexuality by placing a gay chicken named Sam between two other chickens named are Samatha and Samuel. Like other gay chickens, Sam was a little hesitant.

According to Clinton, he still thinks he is a rooster, 'but when putting it in the middle of a couple of hens, they are not sure.'

The shape of a half-drum, half-roof chicken

Previously, scientists still assumed that the sex (male / female) of an animal was decided during embryonic development. Genital system (eggs / testicles) after formation will secrete hormones that direct the genital tract as well as tissues that later become hairs and muscles.

However, when testing female sex cell transplants into rooster embryos and vice versa, they found that these cells did not change to harmonize with the host's reproductive system. In other words, it does not follow the direction of sex hormones.

According to researcher Lindsey Barske and Blanche Capel at Duke University (USA), this shows that in chickens, the body's cells have decided their sex, not depending on the signal from hormones. genital.

Mr Clinton said this had " completely reversed what we still think about how to determine the sex of birds".