Pollutants change 'he' frogs into 'she' frogs

[Brooke_NY]

Well helly! Maybe pollution isn't such a bad thing afterall!

Pollute me baby!!

(just joking, I am very environmentally conscience, but . . .i am jealous of tadpoles now) 

PARIS (AFP) - Frogs that started life as male tadpoles were changed in an experiment into females by estrogen-like pollutants similar to those found in the environment, according to a new study.
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The results may shed light on at least one reason that up to a third of frog species around the world are threatened with extinction, suggests the study, set to appear in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in May.

In a laboratory at Uppsala University in Sweden, two species of frogs were exposed to levels of estrogen similar to those detected in natural bodies of water in Europe, the United States and Canada.

The results were startling: whereas the percentage of females in two control groups was under 50 percent -- not unusual among frogs -- the sex ratio in three pairs of groups maturing in water dosed with different levels of estrogen were significantly skewed.

Even tadpoles exposed to the weakest concentration of the hormone were, in one of two groups, twice as likely to become females.

The population of the two groups receiving the heaviest dose of estrogen became 95 percent female in one case, and 100 percent in the other.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070227/sc_afp/scienceenvironmentanimalssexfrogs_070227120242

[cindianna_jones]

I've read about this somewhere before.  I wonder where it was. Very interesting stuff, is it not?  Sure, they're just frogs... 

Cindi

[Suzy]

Show me where to dive in.

Kristi

[Brooke_NY]

I've read about this somewhere before.  I wonder where it was. Very interesting stuff, is it not?  Sure, they're just frogs... 

Cindi

Hi Cindi

Yes, I agree. It is interesting stuff.

Joking aside, frogs are very close to the environment. They are good creature to keep an eye on to indicate changes in the environment.

I think they mentioned the previous experiment with this that you think you might have read about. I probably should have copied a little bit more of the text.

I figured a lot of us here would find some humor in it (and maybe even a little envy  ). I did.

Show me where to dive in.

Kristi

I know.

I had mixed feelings about it. 

But, when they mentioned pesticides acting as estrogen I went back to my tree hugging disposition.

Wouldn't that be great if HRT alone had the effects of complete SRS on humans? 

Darn frogs...

[cindianna_jones]

At BYU (Brigham Young University) several years ago, they performed a study where they could make mice gay.  I'm not sure if they actually published papers on it but they were very close to doing so.

The Mormon Church shut the research down. One professor threatened to take it public. In turn, he was threatened with excommunication.  Somehow the story leaked out.  Imagine that.

Cindi

[togetherwecan]

Brooke good post (glad yer posting brat).

Isn't it amazing how all things that surround us interact, mold and sway all living things? We hold so many keys to so many things yet to be unlocked.



BTW Cindi, I remember that study and experiment clearly. I think they did publish on it. I will scout around more when I am not relying on batteries.

[LostInTime]

You probably read it here.  :p  Over the last few years this new story and others like it (I believe the last couple I linked dealt with the fish population) have been in the news.  From time to time myself (and others) have linked the stories.

Unintended consequences.  Funny enough wetlands appear to be nature's filter and now areas of the world are starting to rebuild their wetlands.