In the 1990's, biologists studied the alligator population in Lake Apopka, Florida. This lake experienced a chemical spill of the pesticide dicofol in 1980, and researchers wanted determine the effects of the pollution on organisms in the area. Dicofol is a chemical that mimics female reproductive hormones in vertebrates. The pesticide mainly affects the sexual development of the males, and the number of fertile males Lake Apopke is significantly lower than in neighboring populations. What is a potential long-term effect of dicofol on the population of alligators in Lake Apopka, Florida?

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Chemistry

Cassandra Snyder

17 February, 17:53

In the 1990's, biologists studied the alligator population in Lake Apopka, Florida. This lake experienced a chemical spill of the pesticide dicofol in 1980, and researchers wanted determine the effects of the pollution on organisms in the area. Dicofol is a chemical that mimics female reproductive hormones in vertebrates. The pesticide mainly affects the sexual development of the males, and the number of fertile males Lake Apopke is significantly lower than in neighboring populations. What is a potential long-term effect of dicofol on the population of alligators in Lake Apopka, Florida?

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Nikhil Johnston · Answer 1

It can cause the alligators to become endangered or extinct because if there are not enough fertile males then they can not reproduce and will eventually die out.