What is so special about radioactive dogs from Chernobyl?

The special investigation, the details of which are published this Friday, March 3, in Scientific achievementsled by Gabriella Spatola of the National Human Genome Research Institute of the University of South Carolina and Elaine Ostrander of the National Human Genome Research Institute, shed light on the genetic characteristics of dogs living in the Exclusion Zone former Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

According to the study, when they compared the genetics of 302 Chernobyl dogs with those of dogs from all over the world, they found a clear difference, indicating that these dogs and their offspring have indeed survived in the area since 1986 and have been altered to experience a deep level.

To do this, the investigation divided the Chernobyl exclusion zone (ZEK) into four sections: the fourth (closest to the nuclear power plant and the most dangerous) has a radius of 30 kilometers.

Gabriella Spatola and her team used blood samples from 302 wild dogs collected between 2017 and 2019 as part of the Chernobyl Canine Research Initiative, which has been providing these dogs with veterinary care since 2017 and collecting samples for genetic analysis.

The team determined 15 Complex Family Structures Unique to Chernobyl Residents compared to other dogs around the world, and with large genomic variation within and between ZEC geographic locations, suggesting that these dogs roam between locations, live close to each other, and breed freely.

As lead author Gabriella Spatola told Gizmodo, “We found that there are two main populations of dogs inside from the Chernobyl exclusion zone; those who live in the industrial areas of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and those who live about 15 kilometers away in a residential area called Chernobyl City. In these two large populations, we found that there were 15 families in total. But we also saw a lot of migration and mixing, and the largest family had dogs in every area we studied. They also have purebred ancestors, especially herding-type breeds.”

The researcher added that “the Chernobyl dog population provides a unique opportunity to study the long-term effects of radiation in a population that is closely related to humans in the natural environment. Nuclear disasters are bound to happen, and the information we can gain by studying the impact they have on local populations will provide key insights into how we can better prepare for the future.”

Criticism of the study

However, this is not all praise for this project, James Smith from the University of Portsmouth (United Kingdom) believes that the study “only shows that Chernobyl has a different mix of races and families compared to other places, which, unsurprisingly, given that the current population depends on a specific combination of breeds that survived the culling of domestic animals in 1986.”

He adds: “I am surprised that the authors do not clearly state in the article that their results do not demonstrate a causal relationship of radiation with differences in the structure of the Chernobyl dog population,” and that they claim that these dogs may be genetically different. to radiation when the article “does not provide evidence of a causal relationship between population structure and radiation dose”.