Chernobyl radiation caused frogs to genetically mutate, turning black

The radioactive fallout of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster has resulted in the rapid evolution of species nearby.

According to a study published in the journal Evolutionary Applications, the radiation from the Chernobyl accident has resulted in the changing of the skin colouration of the Eastern tree frog (Hyla orientalis) in Ukraine, turning from green to black.

“Skin colouration was darker in localities closest to areas with high radiation levels at the time of the accident, whereas current radiation levels seemed not to influence skin colouration in Chernobyl tree frogs,” wrote the authors in the paper.

“Tree frogs living within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone had a remarkably darker dorsal skin coloration than frogs from outside the Zone.”

The number four reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melted down and exploded on 26 April 1986, with an open air fire burning in the reactor core for several days.

This resulted in airborne radioactive contaminants being released and blown across Ukraine and much of nearby Europe.

These radioactive isotopes, mostly fission products, release ionizing radiation, which can collide with DNA and damage it, causing genetic mutations.

These mutations can lead to cancers and death, malformed offspring, or, in rare cases, non-harmful mutations that get passed onto the next generation. This is a form of radiation-driven evolution.

According to the paper, strong selective factors, such as Chernobyl’s radiation or environmental pollutants, have been previously seen to induce fast adaptive responses, including in fish and plants.

In the case of the Ukrainian tree frogs, the researchers found that the darker colouration may not have necessarily been due to a random mutation, but instead an adaptive response to protect the frogs from the abundant radiation. (Newsweek)

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