Worms living near Chernobyl have developed a new ‘superpower’, scientists discover
• Worms living near Chernboyl appear to be immune to radiation
• Results give scientists clues to how DNA repair can vary between individuals
From black frogs to a new species of dog, radiation exposure has forced many animals living near Chernobyl to mutate.
But a new study shows that not all animals in the exclusion zone have responded in this way.
Worms living near Chernboyl (or Chornobyl in the preferred Ukranian spelling) have developed a new ‘superpower’ – they appear to be immune to radiation.
‘Chornobyl was a tragedy of incomprehensible scale, but we still don’t have a great grasp on the effects of the disaster on local populations,’ said Dr Sophia Tintor, lead author of the study.
‘Did the sudden environmental shift select for species, or even individuals within a species, that are naturally more resistant to ionizing radiation?’