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Investigation: Fungus may have killed Atlantic Forest amphibians in the 1970s and ’80s

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Briefings

Scientists solved a 1970s amphibian cold case in Brazil's Atlantic Forest by identifying Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) as the cause of frog decline. Researchers analyzed 370 frogs from 17 species collected at Boracéia station, finding Bd absent in 1978 but widespread from 1983 onward. This pathogen, first described in 1999, likely drove declines in over 500 amphibian species globally.

Key points

• Researchers analyzed 370 frogs from 17 species collected at Boracéia station in Brazil's Atlantic Forest.
• Bd was absent in 1978 specimens but widespread from 1983 onwards, indicating a rapid pathogen expansion.

Context

A 1970s amphibian cold case in Brazil's Atlantic Forest was solved by identifying Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) as the cause of frog decline. Researchers analyzed 370 frogs from 17 species collected at Boracéia station, finding Bd absent in 1978 but widespread from 1983 onward. This pathogen, first described in 1999, likely drove declines in over 500 amphibian species globally.

Limitations

Specimens were collected from Boracéia station only; no data covers the 1979-1982 period when frog decline occurred. Bd was not described until 1999, creating a detection lag for early 1970s impacts. Global impact data exceeds the scope of this specific regional study.

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