From black frogs to wolves to a new species of dog, exposure to radiation has seen many animals that live near Cherrybythe suffer real mutations. But a recent study shows that not all animals in the exclusion area would have responded in this same identical way.
According to research published in Pnas Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesthe worms that live near Chernboyl would have rather developed a “superpower“As they seem to be immune to radiation.
These are the nematodes of the species Oscheius Tipulae, i microscopic worms collected in the Cez, the area of exclusion of Chernobyl, one of the most radioactive places in the world, which with this discovery offer a new gaze on the adatability of life: despite the extreme conditions, in short,.
The study
Scientists collected hundreds of nematodes – tiny soil worms – taking them between earth, litter and decomposition fruits. Back in the laboratory, with the help of Geiger counters to monitor radiation levels, they sequenced the genomes of 15 specimens from CEZ And they compared them with those of nematodes of the same species collected in distant corners of the planet: Philippines, Germany and the United States.
The result? Simply surprising: Chernobyl nematodes showed no traces of chromosomal rearrangements or mutations attributable to radioactivity. But that’s not all: the researchers also tested the resistance of the worms against DNA, trying to understand if the exposure of their radiation ancestors had forged a sort of genetic “super-dark”. From here it emerged that no correlation between their resistance and radiation levels experienced by previous generations.
A discovery that overturns every forecast: despite the extreme environment, the DNA of the nematodes remains surprisingly stable. The research opens new horizons on the ability of life to adapt, resist and even thrive in conditions that we believed unsustainable. A little great reminder that nature always finds a way to rise, even where man has left deep scars.
