Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aav0379
• Publication Date: 2019-03-28T23:05:35Z
• Authors: Ben C. Scheele; Frank Pasmans; Lee F. Skerratt; Lee Berger; An Martel; Wouter Beukema; Aldemar A. Acevedo; Patricia A. Burrowes; Tamilie Carvalho; Alessandro Catenazzi; Ignacio De la Riva; Matthew C. Fisher; Sandra V. Flechas; Claire N. Foster; Patricia Frías-Ál...; Trenton W. J. Garner; Brian Gratwicke; Juan M. Guayasamin; Mareike Hirschfeld; Jonathan E. Kolby; Tiffany A. Kosch; Enrique La Marca; David B. Lindenmayer; Karen R. Lips; Ana V. Longo; Raúl Maneyro; Cait A. McDonald; Joseph Mendelson; Pablo Palacios-Ro...; Gabriela Parra-Olea; Corinne L. Richar...; Mark-Oliver Rödel; Sean M. Rovito; Claudio Soto-Azat; Luís Felipe Toledo; Jamie Voyles; Ché Weldon; Steven M. Whitfield; Mark Wilkinson; Kelly R. Zamudio; Stefano Canessa
• Keywords: 570; 0303 health sciences; General Science & Technology; Australia; 500; Biodiversity; 15. Life on land; Extinction, Biological; 333; 03 medical and health sciences; Chytridiomycota; Mycoses; 13. Climate action; MD Multidisciplinary; Animals; Americas; Anura; Taxonomy

The demise of amphibians?

Rapid spread of disease is a hazard in our interconnected world. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was identified in amphibian populations about 20 years ago and has caused death and species extinction at a global scale. Scheele et al. found that the fungus has caused declines in amphibian populations everywhere except at its origin in Asia (see the Perspective by Greenberg and Palen). A majority of species and populations are still experiencing decline, but there is evidence of limited recovery in some species. The analysis also suggests some conditions that predict resilience.

Science , this issue p. 1459 ; see also p. 1386