Why Chernobyl dogs evolve faster – the answer of scientists – Science and IT

Significant differences in DNA were found in dogs that lived closer to the site of the explosion.

Evolution is usually associated with slow change, but the dog population living on the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has undergone impressive genetic changes in the forty years since the disaster.

This was reported by IFLScience.

According to a study conducted earlier this year, dogs that lived closer to the site of the explosion had significant differences in their DNA that indicate their genetic separation from other members of the species.

“I think the most amazing thing about the research is that we are identifying populations of dogs that live in the reactor and in the shadow of the reactor, and we can tell who these dogs are just by looking at their DNA profile,” commented Elaine Ostrander of the study. , a geneticist at the NIH.

Although it is currently unclear how these changes affect health…