I want to look at this again: nytimes/2014/05/06/science/nature-adapts-to-chernobyl.html?_r=1 At Chernobyl, Hints of Nature’s Adaptation By HENRY FOUNTAIN MAY 5, 2014 New York Times. Timothy Mousseau explains some findings. The salient bit: But their most recent findings, published last month, showed something new. Some bird species, they reported in the journal Functional Ecology, appear to have adapted to the radioactive environment by producing higher levels of protective antioxidants, with correspondingly less genetic damage. For these birds, Dr. Mousseau said, chronic exposure to radiation appears to be a kind of “unnatural selection” driving evolutionary change.... Dr. Mousseau dismisses the idea that the zone is some kind of post-apocalyptic Eden. But the latest study has given him pause, he said, because it shows the kind of adaptations that may allow some creatures — chaffinches and great tits in this case, though not barn swallows or robins — to thrive in the zone. However, it remains to be seen whether these species are truly thriving, Dr. Mousseau said.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 12:39:02 +0000
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