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Eco-toxicology

An early warning of endocrine disruption in amphibians

Nature Reviews Biodiversity volume 1, page 420 (2025)Cite this article

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Herbicides are deeply embedded in modern agriculture, and saturate fields, seep into waterways and accumulate in species. Although these chemicals effectively control weeds and pest populations, their widespread use has potential unintended environmental consequences, particularly for wildlife. An influential 2002 article by Hayes and colleagues revealed that minuscule amounts of herbicide can disrupt amphibian development in startling ways.

“[This study] revealed that minuscule amounts of herbicide can disrupt amphibian development in startling ways”

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References

Original article

  • Hayes, T. B. et al. Hermaphroditic, demasculinized frogs after exposure to the herbicide atrazine at low ecologically relevant doses. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 99, 5476–5480 (2002)

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Related articles

  • Hayes, T. B. et al. Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 107, 4612–4617 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hedayatirad, M. et al. Transgenerational disrupting impacts of atrazine in zebrafish: beneficial effects of dietary spirulina. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. C Toxicol. Pharmacol. 230, 108685 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetics and Genome Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Lacey J. Bishop-Schouster

  2. Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Lacey J. Bishop-Schouster

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  1. Lacey J. Bishop-Schouster
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Correspondence to Lacey J. Bishop-Schouster.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Bishop-Schouster, L.J. An early warning of endocrine disruption in amphibians. Nat. Rev. Biodivers. 1, 420 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00066-5

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