Polluted environment: Tadpoles hatch into female frogs

In nature, tadpoles hatch into male or regular frogs at a rate of 50:50. However, in a highly polluted environment, the rate of tadpoles hatching into female frogs accounts for 95-100%.

The research staff of Uppasala University, Sweden, simulated the polluted industrial environment in Europe, USA, Canada . and raised three groups of tadpoles in the polluted environment with female hormones calculated to study the sex change of frogs.

Experimental results are surprisingly large. Before the experiment, the rate of tadpoles in three experimental groups was controlled about 50%, this is also the normal rate in the natural world. During the experiment, three groups of tadpoles were fed with different levels of feminine hormones and their sex ratio changed.

Tadpoles (Photo: Bedford.net)

The group of tadpoles that were raised in a polluted environment had the lowest levels of feminine hormones with a tadpole rate that was twice higher than that of the pre-experiment. The other two groups were raised in polluted environments with the highest female hormone levels, this rate was 95% and 100%.

This experiment also showed that some male frogs after gender change still have the function of a female frog, but others have an ovary but do not have fallopian tubes, they will be permanent. infertility.

Researchers say that although frogs have only been added to the growth environment of a pollutant, frogs have a marked gender change. Since then, it can be seen that in the natural environment, frogs will be at much higher risk of gender change due to the environment has many other types of pollution.

Although the study has not yet evaluated the potential impact of environmental pollution on the whole frog species, the experimental results indicate that environmental pollution has a serious impact on frogs. If frogs are turned into female frogs, it will adversely affect frog reproduction.

According to the results of the study, nearly one-third of frog species in the world may become extinct because of environmental pollution.

Tuyet Nhung