Bee sex is a bit more complicated than it may appear at first glance. Scientists have now discovered that proteins play a major role in determining the sex of a bee, rolling the dice and making a bee either male or female.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have just published a study in the journal Nature revealing that two proteins, known as Sex Lethal and Doublesex, work together to determine the sex of a bee. These proteins, which are found in many different species of bees, act like a switch, flipping either male or female depending on the environment the bee is in. In other words, these proteins are what’s responsible for the “roll of the dice” when it comes to a bee’s sex.

This new discovery could have important implications for bee conservation, as it could potentially help scientists better understand why certain bee species are in decline. It could also help researchers understand how different bee species evolve and adapt to their environment.

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source: Phys.org