Updated

Scientists believe the amphibian die-off in Brazil's Atlantic Forest during the 1970s and 1980s may have been caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Mongabay reported on November 10, 2026. Researchers had previously proposed causes including severe cold snaps and acid rain. The pathogen causes a deadly infectious skin disease, and the investigation presents the fungus as a likely explanation for the decade-old amphibian cold case.