Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on reproductive physiology and behavior of túngara frogs

In collaboration with Dr. Michael Ryan (University of Texas) in the next rainy season (May 2009) I will experimentally contrast the reproductive effects (behavior, physiology, and reproductive success) of early (tadpole stage), late (after metamorphosis), and long term exposures (early+late) to ecologically relevant pesticides in an amphibian model system (Túngara frog). I will assess endpoints at multiple levels of organization (cellular, tissue, organ, individual, and population) to determine the contribution of different traits to decreased reproductive success. For example, pesticide exposure could reduce reproductive success because males can’t attract female mates (altered sexual selection) or because they have reduced sperm production (or both). The innovative approach that I have designed will allow us to reveal the specific life history stages and reproductive traits that are most sensitive to pesticide exposure and will identify the sub lethal mechanisms through which pesticides could be driving amphibian population declines. This will be one of the first and most detailed studies investigating the influence of endocrine disrupting pesticides on mate attraction, female choice, and sexual selection, and will highlight a newly appreciated mechanism through which pesticides can modulate evolution and population ecology.

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