Ambient UV-B radiation causes deformities in amphibian embryos
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
By: A.R. Blaustein, J.M. Kiesecker, D.P. Chivers, and R.G. Anthony
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Abstract
There has been a great deal of recent attention on the suspected increase in amphibian deformities. However, most reports of amphibian deformities have been anecdotal, and no experiments in the field under natural conditions have been performed to investigate this phenomenon. Under laboratory conditions, a variety of agents can induce deformities in amphibians. We investigated one of these agents, UV-B radiation, in field experiments, as a cause for amphibian deformities. We monitored hatching success and development in long-toed salamanders under UV-B shields and in regimes that allowed UV-B radiation. Embryos under UV-B shields had a significantly higher hatching rate and fewer deformities, and developed more quickly than those exposed to UV-B. Deformities may contribute directly to embryo mortality, and they may affect an individual's subsequent survival after hatching.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Ambient UV-B radiation causes deformities in amphibian embryos |
| Series title | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.94.25.13735 |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue | 25 |
| Year Published | 1997 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| First page | 13735 |
| Last page | 13737 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |