The dogs of Chernobyl have at least ten differences in your DNA with respect to other dogs in nearby areas, and they evolve faster that they. That is the conclusion reached by a complete study published by more than 10 radiation experts.
In 1986 the most serious nuclear accident in history took place. A reactor of the nuclear power station Chernobyl, in the Ukraine, when it was still part of the Soviet Union, exploded without prior notice, causing a radioactive cloud that toured Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and even reached the United States.
The city of Pripyat, with 50,000 inhabitants, was evacuated and later abandoned. The same happened with other nearby towns.
established a exclusion area of 2,600 square kilometers, where entry was prohibited, due to high contamination. All the humans left the place, but many were left behind. stray dogsand other animals:
Most died from radiation. Others were hunted by the police or the population itself, to prevent them from spreading radiation.
But somehow, a few survived, and their descendants roam free across the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Many species of animals and plants were decimated and have not recovered, but others have recovered the splendor of yesteryear, although with some changes, as has happened to frogs.
A study published in Science Advanceshas examined the dna of 302 stray dogs living in the exclusion zone Chernobyl. Many of them have not had contact with humans.
The analysis of his DNA reveals at least 10 changes in your geneswho do not have dogs that live in nearby areas, but outside the exclusion zone.
They have also found that these animals have evolved faster than their neighboring peers.
It is logical that there is a relationship between the gene alteration and the radiation. Especially since almost 40 years have passed since the accident, and there have already been at least 9 or 10 generations of dogs affected by the radiation.
The problem is that it is difficult to prove it, because the origin of these dogs is not known. Some could have entered the area recently, others could have been more or less years, or the causes of the mutation could be due to other events.
The Chernobyl mutant dogs are a reality, but we still cannot explain why more than 10 genes have changed, and why they evolve faster. The study of animals and plants subjected to radiation for decades is very important to know how it affects living beings.
