Abstract
Because chemicals introduced into the environment by humans can affect both long-term survivorship and reproduction of amphibians, discovering the specific mechanisms through which these chemicals act may facilitate the development of plans for amphibian conservation. We investigated the amphibian pheromonal system as a potential target of common environmental chemicals. By treating female red-spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, to a commonly used insecticide, endosulfan, we found that the pheromonal system is highly susceptible to low-concentration exposure. The impairment of the pheromonal system directly led to disrupted mate choice and lowered mating success. There were no other notable physiologic or behavioral changes demonstrated by the animals at the insecticide concentrations administered. Our findings suggest that the amphibian pheromonal system is one of the systems subject to subtle negative effects of environmental chemicals.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 669-673 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Environmental Health Perspectives |
| Volume | 109 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| State | Published - 2001 |
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Keywords
- Amphibian declines
- Electro-olfactogram
- Endosulfan
- Environmental chemicals
- Insecticides
- Olfaction
- Pheromones
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Chemistry
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Endosulfan exposure disrupts pheromonal systems in the red-spotted newt : A mechanism for subtle effects of environmental chemicals. / Park, Daesik; Hempleman, Steven C; Propper, Catherine R.
In: Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 109, No. 7, 2001, p. 669-673.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Endosulfan exposure disrupts pheromonal systems in the red-spotted newt
T2 - A mechanism for subtle effects of environmental chemicals
AU - Park, Daesik
AU - Hempleman, Steven C
AU - Propper, Catherine R
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Because chemicals introduced into the environment by humans can affect both long-term survivorship and reproduction of amphibians, discovering the specific mechanisms through which these chemicals act may facilitate the development of plans for amphibian conservation. We investigated the amphibian pheromonal system as a potential target of common environmental chemicals. By treating female red-spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, to a commonly used insecticide, endosulfan, we found that the pheromonal system is highly susceptible to low-concentration exposure. The impairment of the pheromonal system directly led to disrupted mate choice and lowered mating success. There were no other notable physiologic or behavioral changes demonstrated by the animals at the insecticide concentrations administered. Our findings suggest that the amphibian pheromonal system is one of the systems subject to subtle negative effects of environmental chemicals.
AB - Because chemicals introduced into the environment by humans can affect both long-term survivorship and reproduction of amphibians, discovering the specific mechanisms through which these chemicals act may facilitate the development of plans for amphibian conservation. We investigated the amphibian pheromonal system as a potential target of common environmental chemicals. By treating female red-spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, to a commonly used insecticide, endosulfan, we found that the pheromonal system is highly susceptible to low-concentration exposure. The impairment of the pheromonal system directly led to disrupted mate choice and lowered mating success. There were no other notable physiologic or behavioral changes demonstrated by the animals at the insecticide concentrations administered. Our findings suggest that the amphibian pheromonal system is one of the systems subject to subtle negative effects of environmental chemicals.
KW - Amphibian declines
KW - Electro-olfactogram
KW - Endosulfan
KW - Environmental chemicals
KW - Insecticides
KW - Olfaction
KW - Pheromones
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034858391&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0034858391&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
VL - 109
SP - 669
EP - 673
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
SN - 0091-6765
IS - 7
ER -