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Half Male, Half Female Cardinal

the daily dish More on PawNation: Birds, Cardinals, Exotic, Gynandromorph, Weird

By Sara Tan Sep 19, 2012

  • Brian D. Peer/WhyEvolutionisTrue.wordpress
    1 of 4

    A reader of Why Evolution Is True recently submitted photos of a gynandromorph cardinal he spotted. "Gynandromorph" means that this exceptional, winged beauty is part male and part female. 

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  • Brian D. Peer/WhyEvolutionisTrue.wordpress
    2 of 4

    Male cardinals are identified as having a brilliant crimson red color, while female cardinals have fawn, grayish-brown tones. As evidenced in his photos, the bird Brian Peer spotted was half red and half light brown. 

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  • MNN
    3 of 4

    How does this happen exactly? Scientists are not really sure. According to Why Evolution Is True, it could be because chromosome loss is involved. However, Live Science theorizes that it is due to an error in the formation of an egg, which normally carries one chromosome to unite with the single chromosome carried by the sperm. If the egg ends up with both a Z and a W chromosome, the egg is then fertilized by two Z-carrying sperm. Thus, the bird will be born with some ZZ cells and some ZW cells. 

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  • Brian D. Peer/WhyEvolutionisTrue.wordpress
    4 of 4
    Next: 50 Cutest Birds Up For Adoption

    Before Brian Peer could gather a blood sample from the bird, it flew away. What exactly happened to the bird is unknown, but one thing is for sure: it's extremely rare.

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23 Comments

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Mik's $ Toy

Two of those photos have the male crest on the head, the other two are more like females without the crest so I'd have to say they are photoshopped

September 20 2012 at 2:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
sylvabugg2

People are so gullible. It is photoshopped.

September 20 2012 at 2:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Harrillfam2

its a Hybrid!

September 20 2012 at 12:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
cab91089

definitely shopped theres a family of cardinals that live in a tree outside my house and the female looks nothing like that its brownish reddish and the male is straight red

September 20 2012 at 12:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Irv Logan

Even if this is authentic, what does it have to do with evolution? It's just a "messed up" bird. There is no evidence of increased information.

September 20 2012 at 12:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
david

If you do ELV on all 4 photos you will see that photo #3 is an obvious photo shop job, the other 3 are legit. And yes, they are all different birds.

September 20 2012 at 12:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
sneeketeeke

Hahaha, picture 3 is a photoshopped finch, it's not even a cardinal.

September 20 2012 at 12:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
missdancealot

a female cardinal is NOT yellow...it's more of a brown with red tinge...has to be photoshopped...

September 20 2012 at 11:48 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to missdancealot's comment
missdancealot

that said, there are hermaphrodite people..why not birds?

September 20 2012 at 11:49 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
bwhitedjr

I think it's just having a bad feather day.

September 20 2012 at 11:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
atnvol

This is ridiculous, you people need to get ahold of yourselves....this is a obvious photoshop hoax. Look at pic 3 where the entire head cap is red versus pic 1 where it is evenly split. I can see why this country is in such terrible shape with so many sheep running loose. Now, let us makeup some excuses why this is real.....bahhhhhhhh

September 20 2012 at 11:04 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to atnvol's comment
bighaircrewx

They are pictures of different birds.

September 20 2012 at 11:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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