Jill's Pick from Around the World: Weed Killer Makes Male Frogs Lay Eggs


A healthy male frog (bottom) mates with a male turned female by exposure to the chemical atrazine.
Photo credit: National Geographic


Although this story is about the United States and is not necessarily from "around the world", similar problems are being seen globally and are leading to a worldwide decline in amphibians.
 
The so-called pregnant man
has company: One of the most common weed killers in the United States can make male frogs lay eggs, a new study says. Atrazine, widely used to kill pests on U.S. croplands, is an endocrine disruptor—a substance that interferes with animals' reproductive systems. Previous research has shown that atrazine can give male amphibians female characteristics: For instance, male frogs exposed to atrazine have lower testosterone levels, produce less sperm, and even change their mating habits by choosing males over females.  

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