Reptiles as models of contaminant-induced endocrine disruption

Historically, reptiles have been used as bioindicators of environmental contaminants and, currently, reptiles have the potential to elucidate the mechanisms of a newly described group of environmental contaminants—endocrine disrupters. Reptiles are particularly good models for studying endocrine altering compounds due to the fact that different species of reptiles have varying modes of gender determination (genotypic sex determination or temperature-dependent sex determination) and parity modes (oviparity or viviparity). This review focuses both on laboratory and field studies of contaminant-induced endocrine alterations in reptiles. Laboratory studies of oviparous reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination reveal that embryonic exposure to natural hormones and many man-made chemicals (including the ubiquitous PCBs and common herbicides) can permanently alter the functioning of the reproductive system. It is hypothesized that similar permanent, organizational changes occur in wild reptiles exposed to endocrine-disrupting contaminants.