Even 40 years after the disaster, radiation levels in the Chernobyl area are off the charts. However, the dogs living here have adapted to these conditions thanks to mutations in their genome. Scientists have identified 52 genes in dogs that are linked to radiation.
The researchers studied two groups of animals that, although they live close to each other, are still separated into packs.
“We uncovered evidence that these populations have been able to adapt to the exposures they have had to face over the years. None of the dogs are purebreds. Each individual combines at least 25 breeds,” says one of the study's authors.
These wild dogs are the descendants of animals that were abandoned by their owners during evacuation.
Earlier we informed that scientists have found out the cause of soil degradation and learned why some cats have red hair.