Radiation‑adapted Chernobyl dogs

Genomic comparisons show feral dogs in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone carry allele‑frequency changes and signals of directional selection in 100+ genes compared with nearby and distant feral populations, suggesting multigenerational adaptation to a cocktail of radiation and other contaminants. While drift can't be fully excluded, the functional enrichment of affected genes points toward biologically plausible adaptive responses to toxic stressors. — If mammal populations can evolve measurable, likely adaptive genomic responses to anthropogenic contamination on decadal timescales, that affects how we use animals as bioindicators, assess long‑term ecosystem recovery, and evaluate human‑health assumptions about chronic low‑dose exposures.