• Question: Do male and female geese have the same genomes?

    Asked by aelizabeth to Canada Goose on 16 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Canada Goose

      Canada Goose answered on 16 Nov 2017:


      The answer is mostly yes. Humans, genetically speaking, in addition to the 44 autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) have 2 sex chromosomes. Males have an X and a Y chromosome and females have two X chromosomes. Sex is determined this way in most mammals.

      Birds are different, female birds have a Z and a W sex chromosomes and male have two Z chromosomes. The rest of the 78 chromosomes (the autosomes) will be more or less the same in male and female geese.

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