However, perhaps the most striking phenomenon is observed in the local worm population. These resilient creatures have transcended mere mutation, evolving a natural immunity to radiation that some scientists are dubbing a "superpower."
From The Daily Mail:
In recent years, researchers have found that some animals living in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone - the region in northern Ukraine within an 18.6-mile radius of the power plant - are physically and genetically different from their counterparts elsewhere, raising questions about the impact of chronic radiation on DNA.
In the new study, the researchers visited Chernobyl to study nematodes - tiny worms with simple genomes and rapid reproduction, which makes them particularly useful for understanding basic biological phenomena.
'These worms live everywhere, and they live quickly, so they go through dozens of generations of evolution while a typical vertebrate is still putting on its shoes,' said Matthew Rockman, a professor of biology at NYU and the study's senior author.
With Geiger counters in hand to measure local levels of radiation and personal protective gear to guard against radioactive dust, they gathered worms from samples of soil, rotting fruit, and other organic material.
Worms were collected from locations throughout the zone with different amounts of radiation, ranging from low levels on par with New York City to high-radiation sites on par with outer space.
