Scientific Debate Surrounds Claims of Male Population Elimination Over Millions of Years

A recent social media post by user Prakash (Ate-a-Pi) on September 20, 2025, ignited discussion with the provocative statement, "> Total elimination of the male population, detectable in the genes." This assertion taps into a long-standing scientific debate regarding the future of the human Y chromosome and its implications for male existence, though scientific consensus points to timescales far beyond immediate concern.

The theory of Y-chromosome decay suggests that the male-specific chromosome has been steadily losing genes over millions of years. Professor Jennifer Graves of La Trobe University has been a prominent voice in this discussion, positing that the human Y chromosome, which once contained around 900 genes, now holds only about 55. At its current rate of loss, Graves suggests the Y chromosome could disappear in approximately 5 to 11 million years, potentially leading to human extinction unless a new sex-determining gene evolves.

However, this view is challenged by other research indicating that the Y chromosome's decay has largely stabilized. A 2012 study published in Nature by Jennifer Hughes and colleagues at the Whitehead Institute, based on comparisons of human, chimpanzee, and rhesus monkey Y chromosomes, concluded that significant gene loss on the human Y chromosome has largely ceased in the last 6 to 25 million years. Dr. Hughes stated, "The Y is not going anywhere and gene loss has probably come to a halt," suggesting the remaining genes are critical and well-preserved by natural selection.

Despite the ongoing scientific discussion, the disappearance of the Y chromosome would not necessarily mean the extinction of males or the human species. Evolutionary biologists point to examples in the natural world, such as certain species of mole voles and spiny rats, which have successfully lost their Y chromosomes and evolved alternative sex-determining mechanisms. These cases demonstrate that life can adapt to such genetic changes over vast evolutionary periods.

The scientific community continues to study the Y chromosome's evolution, with research focusing on its stability, the function of its remaining genes, and the potential for new sex-determining pathways. While the tweet's claim of "total elimination" is a stark interpretation, the scientific discourse emphasizes a complex evolutionary process unfolding over millions of years, not an imminent threat.