Men’s genes are slowly decreasing, a scientist has claimed. It appears the Y chromosome is dying out. Around 300 million years ago, the Y chromosome had 1,400 genes on it, and now it only has 45 genes left.

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The scientist, Professor Jenny Graves from the Australian National University in Canberra, broke her news to medical students at a public lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) in Ireland. She said, “The Y chromosome is dying and the big question is what will happen then.”

The Y chromosome has a gene called SRY that determines maleness by triggering the development of testes and making male hormones.

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Professor Graves mentioned two species – a rat in Japan and a type of mole vole - that don’t have a Y chromosome or SRY gene, but that are still alive and kicking. She commented, “Some other gene has taken over the job and we’d like to know what that gene is.”

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