Scientists discover dogs thriving at Chernobyl site have evolved ‘mutant DNA’

RESEARCHERS have uncovered dogs at the Chernobyl site with mutated genes that may help them adapt to a toxic environment.

In April 1986, a disaster struck the nuclear power station at Chernobyl, Ukraine, causing the No. 4 reactor to explode.

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The event led to most of the community’s residents evacuating – oftentimes, leaving their pets behind.

Now, around 40 years later, scientists have uncovered hundreds of stray dogs frequenting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ).

CEZ comprises an area of around 1,000 square miles with limited access due to nuclear fallout.

These dogs are likely the descendants of pets that were left behind and researchers from North Carolina State University believe they can give insight into radioactive, genetic mutation.

To study this, the team, led by PhD student Megan Dillon, looked at DNA blood samples obtained from two dog populations of Chernobyl.

The first group lives in the immediate vicinity of the power plant, and the second lives near the partially abandoned city of Chernobyl, 10 miles outside of the plant. 

The scientists found signs that Chernobyl’s stray dogs may have evolved to survive in their toxic habitat on a genetic level.

Specifically, the team “detected genetic evidence that suggests that these populations may have adapted to exposures faced over many generations,” according to the study.

In turn, this can help analyze “how the impact of environmental catastrophes such as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster can influence animal populations.”

The team called the scenario intriguing, and hopes to understand “to what extent the descendants of these abandoned dogs have adapted to survive and sustain a growing population under these extreme environmental conditions.”

“Understanding and extending the genetic and health impacts of the exposure to both radiological and chemical insults in these dogs will strengthen the broader understanding of how these types of adverse environmental stressors can impact human health,” the team writes.

Researchers did note that more research is needed to confirm with certainty that these mutations really suggest genetic adaptation.

That said, the team plans to continue looking for signs of radioactive life in the fallout.