Back in 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant melted down, resulting in the largest nuclear disaster in human history. The surrounding area was evacuated, as lingering radiation will leave Pripyat uninhabitable for humans the next 20,000 years. However, this creature doesn’t seem to find radiation a problem.
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00:00Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melted down, resulting in the largest
00:09nuclear disaster in human history.
00:11The surrounding area was evacuated, and lingering radiation will leave Pripyat uninhabitable
00:16for the next 20,000 years.
00:18However, recently, scientists studying the effects of radiation on the myriad animal
00:22species there noticed something interesting.
00:25Some microscopic worms that reside there show no signs of radiation.
00:29Other tests on creatures in the area has revealed clear signs of radiation damage,
00:33and the number of invertebrates in general has decreased as well.
00:36So researchers collected hundreds of nematodes from all over the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
00:41and tested them, their offspring, and looked at the genetic sequencing of both, finding
00:45that despite living in a high-radiation environment, there was not only no greater rate of mutation
00:50amongst those worms, but they also didn't show signs of DNA damage.
00:54What's more, the specific strain of worms, Otypulae, didn't seem to pass on any markers
00:58of radiation exposure to their offspring, with the study concluding that they must be
01:02more tolerant to radiation for some reason, though they still don't know why.
01:06The researchers say this find could be monumental, and could lead to new medicines to help combat
01:11the horrific effects of radiation exposure.