A new teratogenic agent applied to amphibian embryos.

It has been demonstrated that the application of the magnetic probe to Drosophila pupae has a pronounced influence on the pattern of morphogenesis (Levengood, 1966). In addition to morphological abnormalities, there was a retardation of development which continued to occur without further treatment in succeeding generations. A theoretical basis for these disturbances has been proposed (Levengood, 1967). The present study was undertaken to find out whether comparable developmental disturbances would be produced in vertebrates. Amphibian eggs and embryos were exposed to magnetic probes at various stages of development. The results demonstrate that a brief treatment of early amphibian embryos produces several types of abnormalities, some of which are not expressed until the climax stage of metamorphosis.