Researchers studying the genetic evolution of snakes, found that the embryonic stem cells of limbs in some animals can actually transform into external genitalia, or sex organs.

Researchers studying the absence of limb development in snakes, found that the embryonic stem cells of limbs in some animals can actually transform into external genitalia, or sex organs.

The results of the study also found that in mice, tail stem cells could be changed into genitals using the same genetic manipulation method.

Molecular signals sent from the cloaca, an embryonic structure involved with genitalia development, influences neighboring cells to develop into external sex organs.

By transplanting the cloaca into the limb or tail bud cells, the researchers changed the molecular signal and altered how the cells developed.

Chicken embryos were also used in the study to find out how stem cell tissue from limbs and tails could be manipulated to develop into genitalia using grafted cloaca cells.

Doctor Patrick Tschopp lead author of the study from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts is quoted as saying: “It demonstrates that there is a flexibility with what kind of cells can get recruited during development to form genitalia.”

Lizards and snakes develop genitalia in a similar way, which is slightly different from mice and other mammals, but now scientists are closer to understanding how animals started evolving to have external sex organs.