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The Role of Chromosomes in Genetics
In 1891, a researcher named Herman Hanking observed a strange extra chromosome question mark in the sperm of the fire wasp. He also thought it could be a quote peculiar chromatin element or the quote X element. People debated what this X element might do, but generally the consensus was dismissal. In 1902, Clarence McClung found a quote peculiar nuclear element that he ended up calling the accessory chromosome in some locusts. This suggested that this was not some crumbling chromosome at the end of its life, but rather a fully functional chromosome that played a role in determining sex. It took some time for the role of chromosomes in genetics to be fully embraced.