Document Zn02Y6Bxgw1p6v8K8L5DzgJLY

THE OREGONIAN. WF.niVFSnAY. AUGUST 20. 1969 3M IS Scientist Says Pesticides May Influence Evolution CORVALLIS (Special) - Game pesticide investigator, Pesticides may be subtly in said efforts to keep pesticides fluencing the biological evolu from flowing into coastal wa tion of animals, a scientist ters had proved successful in said Tuesday at Oregon State: his home state since 1963, University. when thousands of fish were Dr. Denzel E. Ferguson, killed. Mississippi State College However, he warned that zoologist, told a symposium on "we are not out of the woods the effects of pesticides that because newly-developed the chemicals "may interrupt chemicals are probable killers or alter normal behavioral but have not been adequately patterns and ecological rela studied. tionships in ways, often sub Monday night, Gov. Tom tle, that can determine future McCall told the scientists at a patterns of. distribution and banquet meeting that he adaptive change." would Swear in a special com Other scientists said some pesticides such as DDT could affect the central nervous sys mittee on synthetic on Aug. 27 to study pesticides. chemicals control of t tem of animals their brains. and hence, McCall said a "substantial" c federal grant has been receiv J ed to help the state devise S About around 400 scientists from the country' attended: new methods for storage and disposal handling, of pesti the symposium, which contin cides. ues through Wednesday. Although Dr. Ferguson said no such chemicals had killed off species of animals, there was evidence that pesticides have cut down on populations of certain species. Another speaker, Dr. Phillip Butler of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries labora tory at Gulf Breeze, Fla-., saidj oysters are an excellent or-| ganism to test the level of! pesticides in coastal waters. He said the oysters he has studied in all coastal states attracted the chemicals and became unhealthy but posed no threat to human beings who might eat them. Eldridge G. Hunt, a Califor nia Department of Fish and DSW 433731 STLCOPCB4086839