AS ARMAGEDDON IN SLOW MOTION, T SOMETHING THAT WOULD AFFECT

“WE SAW THESE CHANGES HE GLOBE IN WAYS JUST AS CATASTROPHIC AS NUCLEAR WAR.”

cially in hospitals awash with antibi- otic-resistant infections. Amphibians also have been at the

center of studies on early embryonic development, including research into the cause of birth defects and how they might be prevented. Some of the newest research involves frog species that can survive being frozen solid. They includewood frogs, spring peep- ers and chorus frogs, whose unique physiology may provide insights into the preservation of donated organs. Yet frogs and other amphibians are

in the midst of an extinction crisis worldwide. Nearly 1 in 3 amphibian

species is threatened, and 122 appear to have gone extinct in the last few decades alone. Many more undiscov- ered amphibians are likely to have vanished aswell. Threats include habi- tat loss, global warming, increased ultraviolet radiation due to ozone depletion and fungal infections spread by exotic and invasive species. Bears:Among theworld’s eight bear

species, one (the giant panda) is listed as endangered and six are listed as vulner- able by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Notable among them is the polar bear, whose bile contains substances that show

potential for preventing pregnancy complications and for treating a lethal disease called primary biliary cirrhosis that affects some women. Medical researchers are also studying polar bear metabolism to better understand how these predators remain healthy despite not urinating, eating, drinking or bear- ing weight for months at a time and packing on levels of fat associated with type 2 diabetes in people. Primates: Though many people are

uneasy withmedical research involving our closest animal relatives, these studies are behind the development of success- ful vaccines for a host of deadly diseases

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