Splitting Chromosomes- The Z and W to the Gynandromorph Cardinal

An unusual site came about when a gynandromorph cardinal- a rare cardinal that shows characteristics between mother and father at the same time. This event has occurred among other species such as the butterfly, reptiles and other birds however it is so rare that there is much left unknown about what is actually causing this phenomenon. Theories seem to arise from the idea that the mother carries two sets of her genes in which both become fertilized by two separate male sex chromosomes. When the birds develop bilaterally, they then become half female and male with minimal cells mixing. The only true way to know what is going on though is by running a blood test. As mentioned above, there is still a lot to learn about the gynandromorph process.

In the NYtimes.com article, Dr. Hooper states that not only is the physical coloration  of the bird is split down the middle but the bird even splits organs such as the brain. This fact alone brings many questions in the forms of how the birds brain functions, how does it process information and what other things inside the bird may be out of place or organized differently. This seems to be an amazing phenomenon that needs to be researched and studied for time to come so that we learn for all types of animals.