Gender Bending In The Long Dase Minnow

An article in the Vancouver Sun today discusses how scientists from the University of Calgary have found that Long Dase Minnow in Southern Alberta are feminising. In fact 90% of fish in two of the provinces rivers are female. This is attributed to man-made contaminants entering the rivers and includes chemicals such as pesticides, flame retardants, steroids, growth hormones and birth control pills. Nearly all locations studied showed that males had elevated levels of a protein that is typically only found in the girls. The two main culprits are agriculture and waste water that has not been treated sufficiently. Sigh.