9629735 Rossiter Impact of Heavy Metals on DNA Damage and Survival in Two Grasshopper Species Pollution, particularly heavy metal contamination of soil and waterways, often causes species to become locally extinct. To assess the impact of toxin pollution in a community or an ecosystem, we usually measure which species are present and which are absent. While this approach offers a good method for the expedient delivery of information for safety recommendations concerning human and ecosystem health, we are still in the dark about why some species go locally extinct and others are able to withstand toxin stress. In other words, we know nothing about the changes in population quality which precede local extinction or adaptation as a result of toxin stress. The goal of this work is to learn new techniques to examine this issue. Using grasshoppers as a model system, Dr. Rossiter will subject insects to a range of lead doses at several points in their lives. Their response will be measured in terms of behavior, development, and DNA integrity. This will provide baseline data for interpreting the impact of toxins on population quality and suggest which traits might be used to determine the health of "indicator species", those species whose presence or absence gives information on the health of the local community.
