Mating with the wrong species: plastics make it possible
Last week the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came out with the news that mermaids aren't real. I'm sure that came as a disappointment to many of you...so this article may provide a glimmer of hope that mermaids could still exist!
In a recent study it was found that one of the chemicals used in making certain plastics, BPA, has been linked to some species of fish losing their ability to tell their own species apart from another.
BPA is the building block of polycarbonate plastics, and is used in other kinds of plastics alter their flexibility. The trouble is, BPA doesn't stay neatly locked in - it's known to leech out, contaminating food and liquids that come in contact with BPA containing plastics. Studies have shown that BPA is now in our lakes and rivers, affecting all kinds of creatures that rely on those water sources.
The real trouble with BPA is that it looks a lot like one of the most potent animal hormones: estrogen. It tricks animal cells. Because estrogen controls a number of very important bodily functions, the potential affects of BPA on animals - including us - are severe and range widely.
In the study, red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) and blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta) were exposed to BPA. The males changed color, losing some of their distinctive coloring that females use in mate choice. This loss of color affected the females' behavior: they were less choosy when it came to their mates. Exposure to BPA led to more mixed-species pairings.
I can't help but think of sailors going through the Pacific Plastic Soup and wonder if mermaids could still be possible...
Mating with the wrong species: plastics make it possible
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