Evolutionary biologist William R. Rice critiqued the FBOE hypothesis shortly prior to the publication of this study. According to Rice, it wouldn't take long for a modifier to evolve to prevent the maternal immune response:
"why would over 200 million years since the origin of mammals not be enough to evolve some modifiers preventing very costly neg- ative immune reaction of the female body to such a routine and unavoidable event as pregnancy with a male fetus (50% of all pregnancies)?"
Interesting tidbit.
Evolutionary biologist William R. Rice critiqued the FBOE hypothesis shortly prior to the publication of this study. According to Rice, it wouldn't take long for a modifier to evolve to prevent the maternal immune response:
Rice has a competing hypothesis which links mal... (read more)