00:00Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melted down, resulting in the largest
00:09nuclear disaster in human history.
00:11The surrounding area was evacuated, and lingering radiation will leave Pripyat uninhabitable
00:16for the next 20,000 years.
00:18However, recently, scientists studying the effects of radiation on the myriad animal
00:22species there noticed something interesting.
00:25Some microscopic worms that reside there show no signs of radiation.
00:29Other tests on creatures in the area has revealed clear signs of radiation damage,
00:33and the number of invertebrates in general has decreased as well.
00:36So researchers collected hundreds of nematodes from all over the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
00:41and tested them, their offspring, and looked at the genetic sequencing of both, finding
00:45that despite living in a high-radiation environment, there was not only no greater rate of mutation
00:50amongst those worms, but they also didn't show signs of DNA damage.
00:54What's more, the specific strain of worms, Otypulae, didn't seem to pass on any markers
00:58of radiation exposure to their offspring, with the study concluding that they must be
01:02more tolerant to radiation for some reason, though they still don't know why.
01:06The researchers say this find could be monumental, and could lead to new medicines to help combat
01:11the horrific effects of radiation exposure.
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