Why in the News
A rare freshwater crab species, Vela carli, found in Silent Valley National Park, has been discovered showing both male and female biological traits.
What was discovered?
- Scientists found three crabs exhibiting dual sexual characteristics
- The condition is called Gynandromorphy
- Example in this case:
- Some body parts had male reproductive organs
- Others had female features (gonopores)
What is Gynandromorphy?
- A rare biological condition where: An organism shows both male and female characteristics.
- Usually caused by: Errors during cell division (chromosomal distribution).
- Important distinction:
- Not hermaphroditism (where both reproductive organs function normally)
- Instead, it is a mosaic of male and female tissues
About Vela Carli
- Vela carli is a freshwater crab species endemic to India, specifically found in the Central Western Ghats, one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.
| [2013] Consider the following pairs: National Park : River flowing through the Park Corbett National Park : Ganga Kaziranga National Park : Manas Silent Valley National Park : Kaveri Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 only (c) 1 and 3 (d) None |
