3,000 Year-Old Fortingall Yew Undergoing Sex Change

originally posted by: jimmyx
just "leaf" the tree alone....it's "branching" out, trying to find it's true "roots"

....

Ouch...

a reply to: Puppylove

Not in my opinion.

Sex is the way nature made you, either one way the other or in between.

Gender roles are completely made up things. The way society tries to force you to act.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Any other source would be awesome!

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: Excallibacca

Sex and gender are both parts of the same whole.

uhmmm....intentional freudian slip?....or do I just have a dirty mind?

a reply to: Excallibacca

Nature is not so clean as you pretend. You seem to think there's male, female, and inbetween. There isn't there's basically inbetween, with degrees one way or the other.

a reply to: jimmyx

Wouldn't that require me to misspell whole as hole though?

Hermaphrodite state, is a natural biological occurrence in some plants and some animals. But it can also occur before birth in some species including humans based mainly on the various biochemistry of the organism and hormone's ''chaos''

But what about transgenders?
Transgenders are ''incomplete hermaphrodites''

Most transgender (or not yet transgender) people have been born with unbalanced Hormones too, but not to the point where their body could ''create'' genitals of both genders.
But as they grow up hormones can ring the bell, causing psychological distress, anxiety, anger, and depression as they can't see fit with their gender.
It's not a modern phenomenon and it existed as long as humans
Unfortunately in the past some of them never expressed their inner self, mostly due to dark age ''ethics'' in society and had to live their whole lives suppressed in misery, even today!

Biochemistry is what generates the gender confusion to them.
But it's a different case than being gay.
Most transgenders are heterosexual, but of course they can also be bi sexual, and gay too.

Each case is different, that's why they should always do medical and psychological tests before they start hormone therapy and surgery.

originally posted by: Puppylove
It doesn't matter it's still a male it will always be a male, it was born a male period end of story.

But it's naturally producing female parts. It didn't pop down to the arborist and request to have it's dangly bits lopped off..

Now if you can show me a transgendered female capable of becoming pregnant and giving natural child birth, well.. then it'd be something.

Maybe the tree just wants to use the ladies loo without being hassled... idk

a reply to: laminatedsoul

the fact you said lopped off shows how little you actually know on the subject.

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: Excallibacca

Nature is not so clean as you pretend. You seem to think there's male, female, and inbetween. There isn't there's basically inbetween, with degrees one way or the other.

So your genetic continuance can be guaranteed with someone of the same gender as you?

I don't think so.

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: laminatedsoul

the fact you said lopped off shows how little you actually know on the subject.

Ugh note to self, don't attempt sarcasm with ATS.

Lopped... tree... never mind.

a reply to: laminatedsoul

It can't be guaranteed with the opposite gender either, don't be stupid, or do you stop being female if you're naturally infertile, or male if your sperm just aren't up to snuff. Just because humans are less transitory and fluid between the genders does not mean they magically did away with the fluidity completely.

Why do you insist there's two perfect genders? Nothing supports that conclusion.

trees are genderless. they are both plants sexes which is needed to reproduce itself.

originally posted by: deadeyedick
a reply to: theantediluvian

So is it both male and female at the same time?

If so that would be something.

Even if temporary while a full transition is underway, it would be a boon to reproduction, especially if others aren't within pollination range. I wonder if there's another yew nearby.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: deadeyedick

It sounds like the new growth is female but its unclear from what I could find whether or not it's currently considered a hermaphrodite.

The change is not as sensational as it seems it is noted to happen in conifers. Nature is interesting no other tree around so it will have a female limb and pollinate itself!

The yew is male,[13] however in 2015 scientists from the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh reported that one small branch on the outer part of the crown had changed sex and begun to bear a small group of berries - an occurrence occasionally noted in conifers.[14][15] The seeds have been preserved for study and will be used to help maintain genetic diversity in yews.[16]

Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh explains that, as strange as it may seem, not only yews but other conifers as well have two separate sexes and can sometimes change from one sex to another.

originally posted by: ChesterJohn
trees are genderless. they are both plants sexes which is needed to reproduce itself.

Many trees have both sexes but there are those that are either Male or Female and many require both be around each other to reproduce. Like the ginkgo tree.

'It' should have it's own bathroom.

Problem solved.