Many questions remain about the extent to which radiation causes mutations in various species, and whether these could be spread outside the zone. (Related: Animals Rule Chernobyl Three Decades ...

The 1986 Chernobyl disaster was the worst nuclear meltdown in history. Today, much of the area around the old plant in Ukraine and in bordering Belarus remains uninhabited, including the city of the ...

Many animals survived even after undergoing radiation-based genetic mutations—notably, a number of pet dogs abandoned by their owners during Chernobyl’s hasty evacuation orders. Today ...

In future research, scientists can look for mutations by comparing the Chernobyl dogs' DNA with that of German shepherds. It will be difficult to differentiate between which genetic changes are ...

and even the nucleotides of the Chernobyl dogs, and found no abnormalities indicative of radiation-induced mutation. “We have been working with two dog populations that, while separated by just ...

For years, scientists have used controlled radiation exposure in experiments to induce beneficial mutations in plants and animals. The dogs living in Chernobyl may be experiencing a similar ...

“Do they have mutations that they’ve acquired that ... This made scientists ponder: could something similar be happening to Chernobyl’s wild dogs? The study uncovered that the feral dogs ...

These mutations can lead to cancers ... “Tree frogs living within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone had a remarkably darker dorsal skin coloration than frogs from outside the Zone”, the authors ...

Over time, some mutations may provide advantages that help a species adapt to harsh environments. Researchers have begun studying the genomes of Chernobyl’s feral dogs to determine how they ...

One population was grown for one generation (10 months) in a heavily contaminated plot (900 Ci km −2) near the Chernobyl nuclear ... migration or mutation. Seed contamination is unlikely ...

and even the nucleotides of the Chernobyl dogs, and found no abnormalities indicative of radiation-induced mutation. “We have been working with two dog populations that, while separated by just ...