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A 50-year-old mystery of vanishing frogs reveals a hidden killer

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In short

Scientists from the Smithsonian and Pennsylvania State University analyzed over 370 specimens collected before and after the collapse at the Boracéia Biological Station. Tests showed that the pathogen was completely absent before 1979 but present in over half of the amphibians sampled during the 1980s. Unexpectedly, preserved remains of the hardest-hit species showed no detectable traces of the fungus, while stable species frequently carried it. Fortunately, many of the regional populations have since rebounded, showing that surviving amphibians likely developed pathogen tolerance over time.

Key points

  • The research definitively ties the 1979 to 1982 amphibian collapse to the regional invasi…: The research definitively ties the 1979 to 1982 amphibian collapse to the regional invasion of chytridiomycosis.
  • Populations that suffered the most severe historical drops showed no detectable infection…: Populations that suffered the most severe historical drops showed no detectable infection in the preserved remains.
  • Many frog populations have since rebounded, suggesting that surviving species gradually d…: Many frog populations have since rebounded, suggesting that surviving species gradually developed tolerance to the fungus.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Date:

- November 3, 2026

- Source:

- Smithsonian

- Summary:

- A nearly 50-year-old mystery involving disappearing frogs in Brazil may finally be solved, with scientists uncovering evidence that a deadly fungus swept through the region and devastated vulnerable species. Remarkably, many frog populations have since rebounded, suggesting they developed greater tolerance to the disease that once threatened their survival.

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For nearly 50 years, scientists have struggled to explain why frogs began disappearing from Brazil's Atlantic Forest, one of the world's richest regions for amphibian diversity. Beginning in the 1970s, researchers documented dramatic population declines, but the cause of these losses remained uncertain.

Now, scientists have uncovered compelling evidence pointing to a deadly fungal disease as the likely explanation. The findings, published in Molecular Ecology, come from researchers at the Center for Conservation Genomics at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) and Pennsylvania State University (PSU).

The suspected culprit is chytridiomycosis, often called chytrid, a disease caused by the microscopic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Scientists believe the pathogen originated in Asia before spreading around…

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