Why can dogs survive in contaminated Chernobyl?

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They still roam and survive in a radioactively contaminated environment. How exactly this is possible is a mystery to researchers.

“How do you survive 15 generations in a hostile environment like this?” says geneticist Elaine Ostrander of the National Human Genome Research Institute in Maryland. Specifically, it concerns the dogs that continue to live in the area after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

According to the research team, most of the four-legged friends are descendants of pets that residents had to abandon during the evacuation more than 35 years ago. They live among dilapidated buildings in an exclusion zone around the disaster reactor. According to the initial findings, the animals are still able to find food, reproduce and, above all, survive for a long time without any problems.

protect people better against radiation

The researchers conducted studies on a total of 302 dogs. These are blood samples and genetic tests: using DNA analyses, they were able to identify 15 different families of dogs. The research team also managed to identify stray animals in areas of high, medium and low radiation exposure.

The team hopes for clues as to how the human body can be better protected against radiation. Humans are also exposed to some degree of stress while flying, taking X-rays or simply from natural radiation. However, this is considerably lower than in an area contaminated by a nuclear power plant accident. The scientists have already started the follow-up research. They look for mutations and changes in the DNA.

Source: Blick