ZW

¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Zimbabwe (international car registration)

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zw ² British  

abbreviation

1. Zimbabwe

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Example Sentences

"It's not a chromosome that's specifically for this function. In birds females have a female specific Z chromosome just as in humans males have a male specific Y chromosome. So in humans, of course, males are XY and females are XX. In birds, males are ZZ and females are ZW, so there is a chromosome that is transmitted as a more or less intact copy from mother to daughter, without any gene flow from a father."

From Salon

A second opportunity to bring data to bear on this model relates to its prediction that species that have ZW chromosomes should be more prone to evolve female mating preferences for sexually antagonistic traits than those with XY chromosomes.

From Nature

Indeed, some researchers have concluded that species that have ZW sex chromosomes tend to have exaggerated sexual displays more often than do those with XY chromosomes7.

From Nature

For birds, the most likely explanation is that a female makes an unusual double-nucleus egg cell, one with a Z chromosome and one with a W chromosome, and each is fertilized by a Z sperm, making some cells ZZ and others ZW in the same individual, Dr. Arnold said.

From New York Times

Although one side would largely be ZW and the other ZZ, previous research suggests there is some mixing of cells in the bird’s body.

From New York Times