Thyroid Linked to Some Frog Defects

Much of an epidemic of frog deformities appears to trace to water pollutants that disrupt the production or action of thyroid hormones.

Fort, D.J. . . . and J.G. Burkhart. 1999. Effects of pond water, sediment, and sediment extracts from Minnesota and Vermont, USA, on early development and metamorphosis of Xenopus. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 18(October):2305.

Fort, D.J. . . . and J.G. Burkhart. 1999. Progress toward identifying causes of maldevelopment induced in Xenopus by pond water and sediment extracts from Minnesota, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 18(October):2316.

Adler, T. 1996. Mapping out endangered species’ hot spots. Science News 150(Aug. 17):101.

Burkhart, J.G. . . . D.J. Fort, et al. 1998. Induction of mortality and malformation in Xenopus laevis embryos by water sources associated with field frog deformities. Environmental Health Perspectives 106(December):841.

Cowen, R. 1990. Vanishing amphibians: Why they’re croaking. Science News 137(Feb. 24):116.

Kavlock, R.J. 1998. What’s happening to our frogs? Environmental Health Perspectives 106(December):773.

Milius, S. 1999. Killer skin fungus nails boreal toads. Science News 156(Oct. 2):219.

______. 1999. Parasites make frogs grow extra legs. Science News 155(May 1):277.

Mlot, C. 1997. Water link to frog deformities strengthened. Science News 152(Oct. 11):230.

Raloff, J. 1998. Common pesticide clobbers amphibians. Science News 154(Sept. 5):150.

______. 1997. Seen any deformed frogs? Science News 152(July 12):31.

James G. Burkhart
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Douglas J. Fort
The Stover Group
P.O. Box 2056
Stillwater, OK 74076

Michael Lannoo
Ball State University
Muncie Center for Medical Education
MB 209
Muncie, Indiana 47306

Martin Ouellet
McGill University
Redpath Museum
859 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K6
Canada

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 14, October 2, 1999, p. 212. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.