The key bearded dragon , a bold little creature from Australia , has a evenhandedly unusual time when it ’s developing in the egg .

Muchlike a smattering of other reptilian , key barbate dragons find out their sex by thetemperature of their eggduring brooding . If the egg is bury at a gamy temperature , around 36 ° coke ( 96.8 ° degree Fahrenheit ) , then genetically male individuals will turn into running females . Although genetically male , these dragons are fertile and capable of laying eggs . That ’s dissimilar from humans and   most vertebrates whose sex is purelydeterminedby their chromosomes at the time of creation .

Australian scientist at the University of Queensland , the University of Canberra , and CSIRO have   recently been looking at this phenomenon only to discover something even more , in their words , “ decidedly uncanny ” . Their subject was recently published in the journalEvoDevo .

It turn out , the genetically female individuals also do something fairly unusual . As a distaff develops in its egg , it temporarily grows a twain of hemipenes , the lizard combining weight of a phallus , during exploitation .

" Our team brood 265 barbate firedrake eggs at two temperatures   – either at 28 or 36 ° one C [ 82.4 or 96.8 ° F ] ,   the latter of which stimulate genetically male dragons to reverse their sexual activity , ” researcher Dr Vera Weisbecker say in astatement . “The means these females grew hemipenes , the eq of a mammalian member , was unquestionably weird . "

Dr Weisbecker ’s Honors bookman Sarah Whiteley added : " I noticed that female conceptus first produce a pair of hemipenes , just like male embryos , and only lose them closer to think of . ”

Scientists actually roll in the hay very little about the cognitive operation of temperature - dependant sex conclusion . Nevertheless , widen our reason of this could assist shed light on the evolution of female crotch among man and other vertebrates , something we have sex every bit small about .

" While sex finding is a major permutation in individual exploitation , we know piffling about the differences between the two developmental way , " said Whiteley . " sympathise these might give us some insights into the evolution of our own , genetically driven sexes . "

Dr Weisbecker conclude : " One of the biggest barriers for broader understanding is that there is scant noesis on the female genitalia of reptiles , equate to a relatively gravid consistency of lit on manful genital development and diversity . "

" Understanding these might give us some sixth sense into the phylogenesis of our own , genetically dictated sexes . "