Researchers at University of Michigan have identified a rare genetic mutation that increases the likelihood of babies being born female by 10%.
Evolutionary geneticist, Dr. Jianzhi Zhang says about 0.5% of the population carries a mutation that makes conception more receptive to X chromosomes, leading to more female births.
Zhang says he conducted this study to challenge the idea that sex ratio isn’t influenced by genetic mutations.
“I thought that was unlikely because any trait in human are subject to mutation. So, sex ratio shouldn’t be an exception.”
Zhang says gathering samples was challenging, due to the lack of genetic data from large families.
Next, he says, he would like to explore how this mutation influences conception and whether it’s more prevalent in specific populations.
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