Scientists finally solved why some frogs survive a deadly fungus

University College London researchers discovered that amphibian populations recovering from chytrid fungus infection develop powerful antimicrobial peptides during the tadpole stage, giving them immune defenses before they become vulnerable to the fungus as adults. The study, published in Nature Chemical Biology, identifies why some populations rebound while others collapse.

The findings explain survival mechanisms in recovering populations but do not yet reveal what prevents early immune maturation in struggling populations—whether genetic or environmental factors like temperature or predation.