Chapter 10: What Is Caiman latirostris Teaching Us About Endocrine Disruptors?

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which include a large variety of man-made chemicals frequently used around the world, are substances that behave as endogenous hormones or as inhibitors of their actions. The negative impact of EDCs on laboratory rodents, humans and aquatic and avian species has been deeply studied for years. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the huge value of the native South American crocodilian species Caiman latirostris as a sentinel species of EDC pollution and to summarize how much we have learned from this caiman in the past two decades. We expect that the results described here can contribute not only to the knowledge of the effects of EDCs on wild species but also to warning government control agencies and EDC users and producers for their responsible use as a tool for the preservation of natural ecosystems.