Where does 1.0 and 0.1 come from?

Just window shopping on the world wide Web and came across listings, as many no doubt have, where the sex is labelled with 1.0 for the males and 0.1 for the females...

Today this provoked a thought, and I don't know the answer...

Where do they come from? Why 1.0 for males and 0.1 for females and not vice versa?

Can these be stacked, for example, 2.5 means x2 males and x5 females? If yes, what if you have 11 females?

That system has been around a long while. Can't say I know who or where it started, but it sure helps to have an agreed-upon notation when selling & buying animals, so this is how it's done. ;)


First males, then females, then un-sexed (gender unknown)

Examples: yes, 2 males & 5 females is 2.5, and 11 females is written 0.11 If none are unsexed, you can either write "0" or omit that.

Yep. Check my signature :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

That system has been around a long while. Can't say I know who or where it started, but it sure helps to have an agreed-upon notation when selling & buying animals, so this is how it's done. ;)


First males, then females, then un-sexed (gender unknown)

Examples: yes, 2 males & 5 females is 2.5, and 11 females is written 0.11 If none are unsexed, you can either write "0" or omit that.

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Ohhhh, that's what the numbers mean.

I always figured 1.0 and 0.1 were gender related, but then I'd see bigger numbers and could never tell if that meant like, number of genes in the animal or something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Ohhhh, that's what the numbers mean.

I always figured 1.0 and 0.1 were gender related, but then I'd see bigger numbers and could never tell if that meant like, number of genes in the animal or something.

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So (for example) you see 2.7.4 -that would mean 2 males, 7 females & 4 as-yet unsexed. Easy, right? As I said, the last number (for unsexed) is optional. Short but informative.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

So (for example) you see 2.7.4 -that would mean 2 males, 7 females & 4 as-yet unsexed. Easy, right? As I said, the last number (for unsexed) is optional. Short but informative.

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A very conventional way of doing things. Not something I've used yet in my very short time of keeping, but I am curious about its origin...

Thank you. You've explained its function really well.