Biological sex is central to our continued existence. Yet the mechanism that determines sex, rather than being rational and conserved, is a battlefield of warring genes, sexual antagonism, unbalanced expression and self-destructing sex chromosomes that come in bewildering varieties.Drawing on 50 years of research in three fields in which the author has played key roles, this unique book explores the function, activity and evolution of sex genes and chromosomes in humans and other animals. Providing eye-witness stories of early discoveries and modern genomic insights, it examines how genes and chromosomes determine sex; delving into key breakthroughs, theories on gene and chromosome function, and the enormous scope for variation in body traits and behaviour.Reflecting the huge advances in genetics and genomics that help explain the wonders of human existence and evolution, this book is a fascinating resource for anyone interested in the biology of sex– particularly students and researchers in reproduction, genetics and evolution.

Author Biography

Jennifer A. Marshall Graves is Distinguished Professor and Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Jenny has spent her working life comparing weird animal genomes to discover how sex works and how it evolved. She was a pioneer of comparative genomics and of epigenetics, and was involved in discovering genes important for sex in humans as well as other mammals and reptiles. She has written hundreds of science articles and won many awards, including Australia’s top science prize: the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science (2017), and the L’Oreal-UNESCO International Prize for Women in Science (2006). Jenny is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and an International Member of the US National Academy of Science. She writes popular science articles for a combined readership of 6 million and recently wrote and performed in an oratorio that celebrates the beautiful science illuminating the Origins of the Universe, of Life, of Species, of Humanity.

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