Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A model for environmental sex reversal in fish.
AU - Hurley, M. A.
AU - Matthiessen, P.
AU - Pickering, A. D.
PY - 2004/3/21
Y1 - 2004/3/21
N2 - A mathematical model is presented which combines genetic XX-female/XY-male sex determination with environmental pressure for phenotypic sex reversal. This may occur when fishes are exposed to endocrine disrupters, specifically masculinization by exposure to androgens and feminization by exposure to estrogens. A generic model is derived for the sex ratio in successive generations and three special cases, with chronic and constant pressure to sex reverse, are discussed in detail. These show that, with extreme environmental pressure to masculinize, the male genotype is at risk of dying out but with less extreme pressure, masculinization will not be detectable since the proportion of phenotypic males becomes one-half. With feminization at any pressure to sex reverse, the male and female genotypes will be maintained in a stable sex ratio in which the proportion of genotypic males exceeds one-half and is close to one-half if YY offspring (eggs) are not viable. In converse, the model is also applicable to the genetic ZZ-male/ZW-female system of sex determination in fish. At present suitable data are not available with which to validate the model, but proposals are made for relevant experimental studies.
AB - A mathematical model is presented which combines genetic XX-female/XY-male sex determination with environmental pressure for phenotypic sex reversal. This may occur when fishes are exposed to endocrine disrupters, specifically masculinization by exposure to androgens and feminization by exposure to estrogens. A generic model is derived for the sex ratio in successive generations and three special cases, with chronic and constant pressure to sex reverse, are discussed in detail. These show that, with extreme environmental pressure to masculinize, the male genotype is at risk of dying out but with less extreme pressure, masculinization will not be detectable since the proportion of phenotypic males becomes one-half. With feminization at any pressure to sex reverse, the male and female genotypes will be maintained in a stable sex ratio in which the proportion of genotypic males exceeds one-half and is close to one-half if YY offspring (eggs) are not viable. In converse, the model is also applicable to the genetic ZZ-male/ZW-female system of sex determination in fish. At present suitable data are not available with which to validate the model, but proposals are made for relevant experimental studies.
KW - Endocrine disrupters
KW - Masculinization
KW - Feminization
KW - Phenotypic sex ratio
KW - Genotypic sex ratio
U2 - 10.1016/j.jtbi.2003.10.010
DO - 10.1016/j.jtbi.2003.10.010
M3 - Journal article
VL - 227
SP - 159
EP - 165
JO - Journal of Theoretical Biology
JF - Journal of Theoretical Biology
SN - 0022-5193
IS - 2
ER -