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[PenguinOverlord]

Or, at least, mice can.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20101208/4511/reproductive-scientists-create-mice-from-2-fathers.htm
It's not direct, though, but still interesting.

[LordNagash]

Very interesting, although the process is a bit roundabout and currently unworkable for humans, what with the moral and ethical complications of bringing up a child just to have your man-babies. If they manage to get it to the state where you can do it in vitro I can see the science getting some use, but probably not a lot. After all I imagine it would be fairly expensive, and still easier to do things the old fashioned way of 'find a surrogate mother and just have her impregnated by one of the fathers directly'. Secondly, I don't really think people are that worried if the baby is theirs genetically.

[Aqizzar]

For those gay parents who do want their children to genetically reflect both of them, now they theoretically have an option.  I would imagine that having children that look like you is a pretty big thing for most parents.  Although obviously it only works for men yet, since two women would need to produce a Y-chromosome somehow.

Using stem cell technology, reproductive scientists in Texas...

That made me do a double-take.  I mean, who knew?

[Flaede]

For those gay parents who do want their children to genetically reflect both of them, now they theoretically have an option.  I would imagine that having children that look like you is a pretty big thing for most parents.  Although obviously it only works for men yet, since two women would need to produce a Y-chromosome somehow.

or they could just have a girl, no?
I definitely don't believe the bit in the article where they say they could create a male from two females where no male of the species still existed.

Using stem cell technology, reproductive scientists in Texas...

That made me do a double-take.  I mean, who knew?

That part is indeed interesting.

[Fossaman]

Very interesting, although the process is a bit roundabout and currently unworkable for humans

Yeah, their process looks way too complicated. Just the fact that they need pluripotent stem cells to start with is tricky.

I'm curious now, does oocyte production require two x chromosomes? Because if it doesn't, they might be able to produce an egg from a male parent via stem cell manipulation. You'd only get a 50% success rate, of course, since having two Y chromosomes would do Bad Things. But it would be a lot simpler than this XO business they're messing around with.

[Bauglir]

-snip-

[Leafsnail]

Yeah, two women could just always have girls.  In fact, that's probably more workable since with men you'd have to avoid the YY possibility...

Although there is the Komodo Dragon, which is strange because the females can self fertilize to produce both male and female offspring.

[Bauglir]

-snip-

[ChairmanPoo]

reptiles use a different set of sexual chromosomes, which work differently from the human ones. I dont recall the details.

Very interesting, although the process is a bit roundabout and currently unworkable for humans

Not that unworkable, strictly speaking. Sexual precursos have been derived from ipsc's already.
I don't think the bit about cells losing "spontaneously" an Y chromosome is exactly encouraging, though.

Using stem cell technology, reproductive scientists in Texas...

That made me do a double-take.  I mean, who knew?

AFAIK the Houston Medical Center is the biggest in the world. It's not surprising that many cutting edge things are done there.

[Leafsnail]

In the Komodo dragon's case, the female actually has 2 different chromosones while males have 2 of the same.  So females can self fertilize to make males (of course, since those males then breed with her, you get a ridiculously inbred stock).

[Flaede]

In the Komodo dragon's case, the female actually has 2 different chromosones while males have 2 of the same.  So females can self fertilize to make males (of course, since those males then breed with her, you get a ridiculously inbred stock).

That is ridiculously twisted. How did reproductive functions jump chromosomes?

[ChairmanPoo]

In the Komodo dragon's case, the female actually has 2 different chromosones while males have 2 of the same.  So females can self fertilize to make males (of course, since those males then breed with her, you get a ridiculously inbred stock).

yes, that was that I understood. Parthenogenesis in reptiles produces males, not females.

[lordnincompoop]

I'm not quite sure what to think of this, other than it being good for gay couples I guess.

[Leafsnail]

In the Komodo dragon's case, the female actually has 2 different chromosones while males have 2 of the same.  So females can self fertilize to make males (of course, since those males then breed with her, you get a ridiculously inbred stock).

That is ridiculously twisted. How did reproductive functions jump chromosomes?

They didn't.  They just developed the other way round.

[Flaede]

In the Komodo dragon's case, the female actually has 2 different chromosones while males have 2 of the same.  So females can self fertilize to make males (of course, since those males then breed with her, you get a ridiculously inbred stock).

That is ridiculously twisted. How did reproductive functions jump chromosomes?

They didn't.  They just developed the other way round. I mean, there's no particular reason why men have the y chromosone.

That would mean their family tree separates from the rest of the world before the sexes split, wouldnt' it? I don't think their line is quite that old.