Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Sex Dev. 2012;6(1-3):96-103. doi: 10.1159/000334059. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
Sex in birds is determined genetically, as in mammals. However, in birds, female is the heterogametic sex (ZW), while the male is homogametic (ZZ). Although the exact mechanism of avian sex determination is still unclear, genes on one or both of the sex chromosomes must control sexual differentiation of the embryonic gonads into testes or ovaries, and eventually all other sexually dimorphic features. In this review of disorders of sexual development in poultry, we focus upon the gonads and external dimorphisms. Abnormalities of sexual development in poultry can be broadly divided into 2 types: those due to disturbances in sex hormone production by the gonads, and those due to abnormal inheritance of sex chromosomes. Recent studies on gynandromorphic chickens (half male, half female) point to the importance of genetic over hormonal factors in controlling sexual development in fowl.
鸟类的性别与哺乳动物一样由基因决定。然而，在鸟类中，雌性是异型性别的（ZW），而雄性是同型性别的（ZZ）。尽管鸟类性别决定的确切机制尚不清楚，但性染色体上的一个或两个基因必须控制胚胎性腺向睾丸或卵巢的性分化，最终控制所有其他性别二态性特征。在对家禽的性发育障碍的综述中，我们主要关注性腺和外部二态性。家禽性发育异常可大致分为 2 种类型：由性腺产生性激素的紊乱引起的异常，以及由性染色体异常遗传引起的异常。最近关于雌雄嵌合体鸡（半雄性，半雌性）的研究表明，遗传因素比激素因素更能控制禽类的性发育。
