GabyResearchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute in the U.S. confirmed that dogs living near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant are genetically distinct from dogs elsewhere. Evolution usually takes a long time, but these dogs appear to have evolved rapidly — in under four decades. What did the team find?
For the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from dogs roaming the exclusion zone and from dogs in nearby areas. They found that puppies closer to the site of the explosion showed differences in their DNA. The team confirmed these animals are genetically distinct from dogs worldwide, according to IFLScience. Elaine Ostrander, the study’s lead author, said the researchers could identify distinct populations of dogs living near the reactor. The researchers can now tell whether a dog comes from Chernobyl just by looking at its DNA profile.
However, it remains unclear how these genetic differences affect the dogs’ health. Dogs aren’t the only animals that have changed since the disaster. Geneticists found that wolves in the area have developed resistance to cancer. Meanwhile, wood frogs in the exclusion zone have darkened in color, an adaptation that appears to reduce the effects of radiation on them.
So why are Chernobyl’s dogs genetically different? The study did not answer that directly, but the authors offered several hypotheses about radiation’s effects on animal populations. One possibility, suggested in a 2020 study, is that radiation increases mutation rates, which in turn raise genetic variation passed from parents to offspring. Another theory says animals that can’t cope with radiation die off, leaving a population better adapted to the new environment. That process would reduce genetic variability.
In 2022, researchers measured genetic diversity in water fleas living in Chernobyl’s lakes and found higher diversity in lakes with higher radiation levels. That suggests mutation was the primary evolutionary force shaping those insects. What about the genetic evolution of Chernobyl’s dogs? Their case shows how quickly evolution can act in populations affected by environmental change. The team says it’s too early to draw firm conclusions; researchers still have much to learn.
