Genetic Evolution Via Radioactivity: Dogs of Chernobyl

Today we are diving into something going on in the Ukraine, but it's not what you think it is. Specifically, we're covering the aftermath of something that happened in 1986. That's right - Chernobyl. As a quick recap, on April 26th, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had an accident. Essentially, there was an issue with the structure of the building that caused radiation and radioactive waste to be exposed to the outside world, resulting in the nearby city of Pripyat to evacuate. People left as quickly as they could and took what they could, but that doesn't mean they took everything-and that includes the family pets.

Since 1986, there has been a steady population of dogs in the area who appear to be descendants of the animals left behind. While they don't appear to have extra appendages (which is less common than you think, blame Hollywood) nor deformities (which is semi-typical of overexposure of radiation, sometimes it causes the cells to rapidly divide or produce something and in some cases that can be extra teeth but in other cases it can mean tumors or burns) they are genetically distinct from regular household breeds. So, yes, the radiation did something to them, but as of right now scientists aren't sure what exactly those genetic changes mean. Does it help the dogs deal with high levels of radiation? Is there some super secret new organ that they might have? Or are they just resistant to certain diseases now? As of right now the effects aren't entirely known.

What we can say is that their DNA profile is different from household animals in the same way that a wolf's is different from a German shepherd-yes they're both canines with distinct looks, but the behaviors are different as are the life styles and despite these differences, they're still able to produce viable offspring when bred. Hence, in 2018, the dogs of Chernobyl were cleared for adoption when they could be caught and put in adoption centers, that is. It is also notable that these dogs have been interacting with research teams who have entered Chernobyl over the years to monitor the radiation and have thus far been relatively friendly upon seeing humans.

Hopefully we learn something soon about their DNA profiles and what makes them different. In the meantime, you may want to skip Chernobyl dog adoption until those differences are made clear. Sounds good, right?

Arbitrage Trade Assist trades for you while you sleep. Check it out today at http://arbitragetrade.com