Study of 302 Chernobyl Dogs Finds No Mutation Link to 16-Km Genetic Split
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Aug 8
Study of 302 Chernobyl Dogs Finds No Mutation Link to 16-Km Genetic Split
1 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Aug 8
Summary
A 2024 PLOS ONE follow-up found no evidence that elevated mutation rates explain why free-roaming dogs at the Chernobyl power plant and in Chornobyl City form genetically distinct populations.
Researchers led by Megan Dillon and Matthew Breen tested whole chromosomes, short repeating DNA segments and recently derived alleles, and also found no gross chromosomal abnormalities.
The result challenges the obvious radiation hypothesis raised by a 2023 study of 302 dogs from the plant, Chornobyl City and Slavutych, which showed the nearby groups could be separated by DNA.
The cause of the split remains unresolved: scientists say population history, limited gene flow and selection are still plausible, with the two groups breeding mostly within their own populations despite being only about 16 kilometres apart.