The 'protective role of pigmentation' is what's at play.
Near-black frogs far outnumber their highlighter-yellow fellows in Chernobyl's radiation-blasted ecosystems, in a direct example of"evolution in action," a new study shows. The study, published Aug. 29 in the journal Evolutionary Applications , found that eastern tree frogs with more skin-darkening melanin pigment were more likely to survive the 1986 nuclear accident in Ukraine than frogs with lighter skin, leading to populations today that are dominated by darker frogs.
On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded, spewing radioactive materials across an 18-mile radius. After studying more than 200 male frogs whose habitats were spread across 12 different breeding ponds throughout the radioactive contamination zone, researchers found that"on average, 44% were darker than those outside of Chernobyl," Burraco said."We consider the most plausible explanation to [why] frogs within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone [are changing color] is that the extremely high radiation levels at the moment of the accident selected for frogs with dark skin.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Melanin Protection: Chernobyl Black Frogs Reveal Evolution in ActionThe largest release of radioactive material into the environment in human history occurred in 1986, with an accident on April 26 at reactor four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Severe impacts on the environment and the human population resulted from the acute exposure to high doses of radiatio
Read more »
Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander reflect on the legacy of The Lost BoysFrog Brothers talk about what it's like to rewatch the film
Read more »
Custom T-shirt shop Big Frog opens in Mandarin neighborhoodBig Frog Custom T-Shirts \u0026 More, a full-service custom apparel decorating shop with nearly 100 franchised locations specializing in direct-to-garment printing, is now open in Jacksonville.
Read more »
She-Hulk: How Leap-Frog Could Return and Pay Tribute to His Comic RootsAcross its eight episodes thus far, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has fleshed out the Marvel Cinematic [...]
Read more »