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While humans use the XX/XY system, some animals like birds use a ZW/ZZ system where females are ZW and males are ZZ. If a male bird mates with a female bird, which parent determines the sex of the offspring?

1 views 1 helpful Updated Jul 2, 2026
Solution ✔ Verified
  • AThe male bird.
  • BThe female bird.
  • CBoth parents contribute equally.
  • DEnvironmental factors.
Explanation

In the ZW/ZZ system, the female bird (ZW) produces two types of gametes (Z and W), while the male bird (ZZ) produces only Z-bearing gametes. Therefore, the female bird determines the sex of the offspring (ZZ for male, ZW for female).

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