Toad leapfrogs pesticides
Wood frogs have been able to change certain genes when exposed to environmental pressure, a process known as phenotypic plasticity. They have resorted to different mechanisms to cope with their changing environment. It was discovered that several wood frog populations which lived closer to agricultural lands could quickly switch on genetic resistance to carbaryl pesticide; while populations far from agricultural land had low native tolerance but high magnitudes of induced tolerance. In one case, wood frogs were able to change in one generation after exposure to contaminated environments. Subsequent research revealed that frogs that exhibited resistance to carbaryl also showed resistance to another pesticide, malathion. This suggests that pesticides targeting agricultural pests such as mites and beetles could also develop resistance in the same way. Understanding how tolerance evolves could help farmers to prevent pests from developing resistance in the future.
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/deltabc-1.983313/blog-toad-leapfrogs-pesticides-1.2039027
