"Heat waves" experienced during larval life have species-specific consequences on life-history traits and sexual development in anuran amphibians.

Extreme temperatures during heat waves can induce mass-mortality events, but can also exert sublethal negative effects by compromising life-history traits and derailing sexual development. Ectothermic animals may, however, also benefit from increased temperatures via enhanced physiological performance and the suppression of cold-adapted pathogens. Therefore, it is crucial to address how the intensity and timing of naturally occurring or human-induced heat waves affect life-history traits and sexual development in amphibians, to predict future effects of climate change and to minimize risks arising from the application of elevated temperature in disease mitigation.

Sex reversal and ontogeny under climate change and chemical pollution: are there interactions between the effects of elevated temperature and a xenoestrogen on early development in agile frogs?

Anthropogenic environmental change poses a special threat to species in which genetic sex determination can be overwritten by the thermal and chemical environment. Endocrine disrupting chemicals as well as extreme temperatures can induce sex reversal in such species, with potentially wide-ranging consequences for fitness, demography, population viability and evolution. Despite accumulating evidence suggesting that chemical and thermal effects may interact in ecological contexts, little is known about their combined effects on sex reversal.