×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

GS-III :
  • 29 June, 2020

  • 5 Min Read

Gyanandromorphism

The rare biological phenomenon in dragonflies sighted at Kole wetlands

  • When Renjith R.V and Vivek Chandran spotted a peculiar dragonfly, the Scarlet Skimmer (Crocothemis servilia), in the Puzhakkal area of the Kole wetlands in Thrissur last year, little did they know that they were documenting a very rare biological phenomenon.
  • The male dragonflies typically have prominent blood red colouraton in almost all their body parts, including the head, thorax, abdomen and legs, and the female is a pale yellow in colour with a dark brown thorax and legs.
  • But the one they spotted on July 14 as part of the Kole Odonata Survey 2019, was “part red and part yellow”.
  • Later, while compiling data, they were thrilled to find that they had recorded gynandromorphism — a very rare biological phenomenon.

‘Genetic aberration’

  • Gynandromorphs are chimeric individuals having both male and female tissues and are viewed by the scientific community as a genetic aberration.
  • Even though common in some arthropod taxa such as Crustacea and Arachnida, the paper says it is very rare in Odonates and only 30 individuals from seven families have been reported with the condition worldwide.
  • The spotted individual showed bilateral gynandromorphism of only the thorax, half of which showed blood red colouration as in males, and the other half had the pale yellow characteristics of females.
  • The individual had a mix of male and female external characters, ranging from almost entirely female to about equally divided.

Odonate:

  • They are predaceous insects comprising the dragonflies and damselflies.

Arthropod:

  • An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Euarthropoda, which includes insects, arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans.

Gyanandromorph:

  • A gynandromorph is an organism that contains both male and female characteristics.

Source: TH


Anti-Defection Law in India

The Supreme Court of India recently gave a final three-week deadline to the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions against defecting MLAs under the Anti-Defection Law. What is the Anti-Defection Law? The Anti-Defection Law was introduced through the 52nd Amendment (1985), which added the Tenth Schedule to the

Rat-Hole Mining

A major disaster unfolded in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, when at least 18 workers died following an explosion in an illegally operating rat-hole coal mine. This incident highlights the continued prevalence of rat-hole mining despite bans imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court of India. Rat-hole mining is driven

India’s Aviation Sector

India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly, becoming a major economic success story. However, regulatory oversight has not evolved at the same pace. Data-driven monitoring of fares and market behavior is essential to ensure fair competition, prevent market abuse, and shift from reactive crisis management to proactive regulation. Challen

Federalism in India

Recently, a high-level committee on Union–State relations submitted its first report to the Government of Tamil Nadu. The report examines the distribution of powers and responsibilities between the Union and the States, highlighting ongoing debates regarding the balance between central authority and state autonomy. This discussion is clos

India–UAE Economic Partnership

The relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates has evolved from a traditional energy-based partnership into a comprehensive economic and strategic relationship. Over the years, strong political trust, growing trade, and expanding investments have transformed bilateral ties into a diversified economic corridor. The economic partnership

DNA

22 Mar,2026

Toppers

Search By Date

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW