Invasion, stress, and spinal arthritis in cane toads
- *School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia; and
- †Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries, and Mines, Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories, Darwin NT 0801, Australia
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Edited by James H. Brown, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, and approved September 7, 2007 (received for review May 29, 2007)
Abstract
The impact of invasive species on biodiversity has attracted considerable study, but impacts of the invasion process on the invaders themselves remain less clear. Invading species encounter conditions different from those in their ancestral habitats and are subject to intense selection for rapid dispersal. The end result may be significant stress on individual organisms, with consequent health problems. Our studies on invasive cane toads in Australia reveal severe spinal arthritis in ≈10% of large adult toads, associated with the same factors (large body size, frequent movement, and relatively long legs) that have enabled toads to invade so rapidly across the Australian tropics.
Footnotes
- ‡To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rics{at}bio.usyd.edu.au
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Author contributions: G.P.B., C.S., and B.L.P. performed research; G.P.B. analyzed data; and R.S. wrote the paper.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
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See Commentary on page 17561.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
