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Freaking frogs >> Uncovering the causes of amphibian mutations by DOMINIQUE RITTER
It is now widely accepted that amphibian populations around the world are in rapid decline. But not only are the froggies croaking, they are also mutating. "A low frequency of developmental screw-ups are expected in any population," Dr. David M. Green, McGill University's amphibian guru, told the Mirror. "But this is far more frequent. It's an epidemic of sorts." The epidemic takes the form of genetic and physical mutations affecting amphibian populations. And as hypothesized by one of Green's PhD candidates, Martin Ouellet, the culprit appears to be pesticides. Mass mutations "When we check for deformities in pristine areas, we find a 0 to 2 per cent incidence," said Ouellet. "But on sites subject to pesticides it can be as high as 100 per cent, with an average between 10 and 20 per cent." Ouellet has been studying physical mutations in amphibian populations since 1992 and has examined close to 30,000 frogs in more than 100 different locations in the St-Lawrence river valley. What he has discovered are frogs with extra limbs, frogs missing limbs and frogs with eye and skin mutations. "It's hard to track down one pesticide in particular responsible for the mutations, because farmers usually use a cocktail of new chemicals," explained Ouellet, but his data show a clear link between pesticide use and amphibian mutation. People plague "People think it's some kind of global plague--and in a way it is," said Green. "The global plague is people--all the little things they do in all innocence." In other words, the man with the name that uncannily reveals his love of Kermit is not taken aback by the environmental havoc wreaked by humans. "Pesticides are designed to kill things and they do. So we shouldn't be surprised that they do," said Green, who emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness of environmental concerns, like the future of amphibians. An international day of froggie recognition perhaps? "Sure! Why not?" Green describes two kinds of people: people who "hug bunnies" (i.e. love nature) and people who "shoot bunnies" (i.e. don't give a damn). "In between there has to be accommodation, because neither is right and neither has a lock on the truth. "A lot of campaigns to save species only preach to the converted. We need to reach people who don't tune in to David Suzuki and aren't members of the World Wildlife Fund." Martin Ouellet will be presenting the first chapter of his thesis on April 23 at 3pm at McGill's Redpath Auditorium
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Alice the froggie has... one leg?