This scientific meeting, held once every three years, brings together the entire international community of scientists and their trainees, researching the molecular, genetic, and environmental mechanisms of how males and females are formed (sex determination) in diverse vertebrate animals, including amphibians, fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals. Some of these species rely on environmental sex determination, such as visual or population cues, or temperature of egg incubation. In contrast, most mammals use a genetic sex-determining system that depends on the Y chromosome-linked gene Sry. Despite this species diversity, many of the same genetic pathways for male and female formation are involved. However, the mechanisms of testis and ovary formation are proving to be highly diverged, providing exciting insights into the evolution of male and female pathways. As it is nearly impossible to keep up with the advances made in so many diverse animal systems, the objective of this meeting is to exchange information, using a comparative approach between vertebrate species to advance our understanding of the process of sex determination for the formation of males and females. This meeting emphasizes the participation of junior scientists, including assistant professors, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, an essential aspect of their scientific training. Indeed, at the last meeting in 2006, ~80% of the participants who gave talks or presented posters were junior scientists. In addition, ~35% of the invited speakers at the current meeting are women. Thus, the incorporation of significant numbers of junior scientists and women into this meeting will continue. Another important objective will be to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities. Knowledge of sex-determining mechanisms in diverse vertebrate species provides important insights into how nature balances sex ratios in animal populations.
