title: Origin and evolution of Y chromosomes: Drosophila tales.
abstract: Classically, Y chromosomes are thought to originate from X chromosomes through a process of degeneration and gene loss. Now, the availability of 12 Drosophila genomes provides an opportunity to study the origin and evolution of Y chromosomes in an informative phylogenetic context. Surprisingly, the majority of Drosophila Y-linked genes are recent acquisitions from autosomes and Y chromosome gene gains are more frequent than gene losses. Moreover, the Drosophila pseudoobscura Y chromosome lacks homology with the Y of most Drosophila species. Thus, the Drosophila Y has a different evolutionary history from canonical Y chromosomes (such as the mammalian Y) and it also might have a different origin.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. bernardo@biologia.ufrj.br
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernardo Carvalho
authors.forename: Leonardo B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Koerich
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*