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by graemep 555 days ago
In fact it makes them change sex, not gender (gender is a cultural construct, so only applies to humans).

It makes frogs that would otherwise develop as male become female or intersex instead.

1 comments

It looks like it actually reverses sexual characteristics without reversing chromosomes, meaning the males that have reversed sexual characteristics are still technically genetically male.

"The resulting larvae were all male when raised to metamorphosis and sampled (n = 100), confirming that atrazine-induced females were, in fact, chromosomal males. Furthermore, atrazine-induced females lacked the DM-W further confirming that these atrazine-induced females were indeed chromosomal males (Fig. 2). These ZZ females expressed gonadal aromatase, as did true ZW females (n = 4, from our stock colony), but ZZ males (n = 8, control or treated) did not"

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2842049/

Yes, exactly - that is why I said intersex. it covers both chromosomal and developmental abnormalities.

The frogs ARE genetically male. They are female (or neither) as a result of development.

I was more commenting on the first line of your comment, where you said that they were changing sex, but I don't think intersex is accurate either, as intersex traits are present at birth. In the study, they raised the male frogs to maturity before exposing them to atrazine, after which 10% had their adult male characteristics reversed to that of a female.
Good point, but. I suppose sex change might be more accurate.
It's a weird phenomenon whatever the correct terminology may be.
So, I guess the real question here is how the frogs self identify, and what are their pronouns?

So, can we get started now blaming the farmers for wokeness?

I assume that is sarcastic?

Only humans can "self-identify". True whether you think this is good or bad.

Farmers are to blame for sex changes in frogs. There may be other effects, but we do not know. It may well be harmful to humans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrazine#Mammals

Personally I also think something shown to have such effects on wildlife should be banned, and definitely should not be in our food. It is banned in some countries.