Mercury Makes Birds Gay: Study
Mercury poisoning could wipe out birds - by making them gay, say scientists. A three-year study of 120 white ibises found more than half of males exposed to high levels of the chemical chose to pair off amongst themselves instead of with females. Males dosed up with methylmercury, the organic and most toxic form of mercury, showed reduced rates of traditional courtship behaviour. Even relatively low levels of mercury in the diet of male white ibises cause the birds to mate with each other rather than with females. As a result many of the females can't breed, and fewer chicks are produced. Dr Peter Frederick, of the University of Florida, warned that gay coupling could result in a 50 per cent reduction in chicks. He said: 'These effects on reproductive behaviour and sexual preference represent a novel mechanism by which contaminants may influence wild bird populations.' Mercury is a naturally occurring metal released into the environment from rocks and soils, and i...