Gender determination in reptillians

[jake-the-peg]

I'm lead to believe that the gender of a number of reptillians is determined by the temperature in the nest.

But that in mammals it's fixed at the moment of conception based on X or Y cromosomes.

How does this work at a genetic level?

Are all the genes relating to male structures in mamals exclusively in the Y cromosome or can a man pass male traits to his Grandson via his daughter? with genes in the Y cromosome acting as a switch?

How can temperature effect which genes are expressed? or is it at the cellular level so that each cell can become part of male or female structures depending on temperature?

[heathfield]

Slow day at work, Jake? :-) there's a bit about gender v temperatures here...

http://www.scientific...etermination-reptiles

[Peter Pedant]

.

the y chromosome is v small and doesnt have much DNA -to pass all/any info on

So that answers this bit:Are all the genes relating to male structures in mamals exclusively in the Y cromosome

IN fact the last time I looked it was only 'hairy ears' gene that had been identified on the Y chr



or can a man pass male traits to his Grandson via his daughter?
with genes in the Y cromosome acting as a switch?

as a sort of male counterpart to female transmission in Leber 's atrophy ?
hasnt been described unless it is recent

we need the help of a proper geneticist......

[jake-the-peg]

Dregs of the week Heathfield - this or make some fundamental changes just before the weekend ;c)

Interesting - thanks both

Would have liked to have done Biology but couldn't stick years of cutting up earthworms to get to the really interesting cellular biology stuff