Chernobyl Dogs Offer Window Into Radiation’s Gentetic Impact

KYIV, Ukraine — Nearly 40 years after history’s worst nuclear disaster, scientists are studying an unexpected laboratory: the descendants of dogs abandoned during the Chernobyl evacuation.

Researchers from the University of South Carolina and National Human Genome Research Institute analyzed DNA from 302 feral dogs within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), an area roughly the size of Yosemite National Park. Their findings, published in Science Advances, reveal distinct genetic differences between dogs living near the reactor and those just 10 miles away in Chernobyl City.

The study joins growing research into radiation’s effects on CEZ wildlife. A 2016 study found Eastern tree frogs within the zone were more commonly black than their typically green counterparts, possibly due to beneficial mutations in melanin production that help neutralize radiation.

However, scientists caution against drawing immediate conclusions. “Distinguishing radiation-induced mutations from effects like inbreeding remains challenging,” one environmental scientist told Science News.

Despite these limitations, the dog study provides a framework for investigating radiation’s impact on large mammals, comparing DNA between populations in irradiated and non-irradiated areas. The research demonstrates how a nuclear wasteland has become an unprecedented opportunity to study radiation’s role in natural evolution.