A Genetically Odd Snail Manages To Mate Despite Unfavorable Odds

A snail that has been named Jeremy has been known to the public for a while due to its strange appearance. Unlike other snails, Jeremy is considered a “lefty,” which means that Jeremy’s shell swirls counterclockwise and his sexual organs are located on the left side of his head. Jeremy could be considered a mirror image of snails born without genetic anomalies. Since Jeremy’s sexual organs are located opposite the sexual organs of its potential mates, Jeremy cannot find another snail to successfully mate with, that is, until recently.

According to evolutionary geneticist, Angus Davison, Jeremy’s genetic mishap could occur in only one out of every million snails. However, most scientists agree that one out of every one hundred thousand snails carry Jeremy’s odd genetic trait.

Thanks to a global search, Jeremy eventually became united with another snail that shares Jeremy’s genetic trait. The other snail is named “lefty,” and it is reportedly developing a sexual relationship with Jeremy. The scientists are eager to see what sort of genetic anomalies will result in the offspring that these two snails will soon produce.

Do you think that it is obvious that these two snails would produce offspring that would have the same genetic anomaly as the parents? Or do the researchers need to be familiar with Jeremy’s family history before the genetic makeup of its offspring can be narrowed down to only a few possibilities?