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Does anyone find a story idea in this?
A Rare Bird Indeed: A Cardinal That’s Half Male, Half Female
"I'ts left side is the taupe shade of female cardinals; its right, the signature scarlet of males.
Researchers believe that the cardinal frequenting the Caldwells’ bird feeder in Erie, Pa., is a rare bilateral gynandromorph, half male and half female. Not much is known about the unusual phenomenon, but this sexual split has been reported among birds, reptiles, butterflies and crustaceans."
"Sex determination in mammals is controlled by a gene on the Y chromosome that stimulates the development of testes, the hormones of which regulate development of the rest of the organism. That’s why gynandromorphism is so rarely seen in mammals, Dr. Hooper said."
But apparently not impossible!
Comments
Not Just Cardinals
There are priests, bishops, and deacons who are half male/half female. All God's children are different; why are we so surprised when we notice that difference?
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Similarity to Chimera?
I wonder if there is any relationshiP?
Gwen
Chimera
That appears to be exactly what it is.
I've seen once a description of a bird species...
... which had 3 kinds of "male" with different kinds of plumage:
Alpha male with harem.
Male that looks like a female to infiltrate the harem and procreate while Alpha male looks the other way.
Male that looks like a female to infiltrate the harem to be one of the "chicks" Alpha tries to procreate with...