Two scientists, one American and one French, have been in Chernobyl for more than 10 years studying the populations of insects, birds and mammals in "zone of alienation" surrounding the abandoned nuclear power station in Ukraine, the BBC reported Friday.

Professors Tim Mousseau from the University of South Carolina and Anders Moller from the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris have examined DNA patterns of the species they've studied at Chernobyl.

With every generation, the pattern of a species' DNA changes slightly, as a result of the natural balance between mutations and the individual's ability to repair damaged DNA.

This is how species evolve, the report said.

The rate of this change, where each piece of the DNA code is replaced by another, is called the substitution rate.

"What we have discovered is that when we look at the species in Chernobyl, we can predict, based on their substitution rates, which ones are most vulnerable to contaminants." Mousseau said.

Of the species studied at Chernobyl, Mousseau said, migrating birds seem to have been the most badly affected by the contamination.

"One explanation may be that these species have, for whatever reason, less capable DNA repair mechanisms," he said.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

Problem hits major European gravity satellite Gravity wave project gets endorsement Spacequakes Rumble Near Earth GOCE Helping Reveal The Gravity Of Earth FPL Changes Space Coast Skyline To Add New, Clean Energy Center Self-Cleaning Technology From Mars Can Keep Terrestrial Solar Panels Dust Free Ohio's Largest Solar Farm Scientist: Wind, solar energy is future Mortenson Construction Building 100 Turbine Wind Farm In Illinois Canada looks to utilize wind energy LADWP Approves New Wind Project German wind growth down, exports strong Britain to lobby for energy deals abroad? Power cuts and high prices spark Ramadan ire in Egypt Is Any Country Already Able To Meet All Of Its Energy Needs From Renewable Sources? Many Are Still Clueless On How To Save Energy US mounts global push for shale gas Coal demand set to continue rising New bacteria degrades oil faster, in deep, cold water: study Cairn discovers gas in offshore Greenland amid protests Planets In Unusually Intimate Dance Around Dying Star Detector Technology Could Help NASA Find Earth-Like Exoplanets NASA Finds Super-Hot Planet With Unique Comet-Like Tail Recipes For Renegade Planets Russia increases diesel sub production Abraham Lincoln Wraps Up COMPTUEX Russia throws open warship buy to tender: minister Russia throws open French warship buy to tender: official Martian 'mud' volcanoes eyed for life Opportunity Keeps On Driving To Endeavour Crater Trip to Mars could leave crew dangerously weak - study Opportunity Drives Five Times This Week