title: Microevolution due to pollution in amphibians: A review on the genetic erosion hypothesis.
abstract: The loss of genetic diversity, due to exposure to chemical contamination (genetic erosion), is a major threat to population viability. Genetic erosion is the loss of genetic variation: the loss of alleles determining the value of a specific trait or set of traits. Almost a third of the known amphibian species is considered to be endangered and a decrease of genetic variability can push them to the verge of extinction. This review indicates that loss of genetic variation due to chemical contamination has effects on: 1) fitness, 2) environmental plasticity, 3) co-tolerance mechanisms, 4) trade-off mechanisms, and 5) tolerance to pathogens in amphibian populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM (Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: emanuele.fasola@ua.pt.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fasola
authors.affiliation: CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM (Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000663:Amphibians / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014644:Genetic Variation
keywords: Co-tolerance; Environmental plasticity; Fitness; Genetic variability; Trade-off