Chornobyl Dark coloured tree frogs

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Melanin pigmentation in tree frogs has been identified as a potential adaptive response to ionizing radiation, particularly in the context of the Chornobyl disaster. Research indicates that high radiation levels may have favored darker coloration in tree frogs, enhancing their survival rates shortly after the accident. Variability in coloration among Hyla genus tree frogs, including dark and grey individuals, suggests that selective pressures could have influenced this trait. While dark individuals were found in low numbers outside Chornobyl, the study highlights the role of environmental factors in shaping coloration and survival strategies. The discussion also touches on broader themes of how industrialization impacts natural selection, with references to Chernobyl as a unique ecosystem that has seen a resurgence in biodiversity. Further studies explore related topics such as aging and stress responses in Eastern tree frogs, contributing to the understanding of ecological adaptations in contaminated environments.
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TL;DR Summary
The Chornobyl accident (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. Our aim was to examine how exposure to radiation from the Chornobyl accident influences dorsal skin coloration of Eastern tree frog
"..melanin pigmentation has been proposed as a buffering mechanism against ionizing radiation.
Our results suggest that exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, likely at the time of the accident, may have been selected for darker coloration in Chornobyl tree frogs."

Part of the discussion

“Variability in coloration, including dark or grey individuals, is often described in tree frogs of the Hyla genus
In our study, dark individuals were also detected (although in very low proportions) in localities outside the Chornobyl area
It is, thus, plausible that selective processes acting on existing colour variability favoured individuals with darker coloration,
linked to higher survival rates in dark frogs under extremely high radiation conditions shortly after the accident.”

The paper.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.13476

Further reading about Chernobyl as a unique Ecosystem, demonstrating the resurgence of rare species and increase in biodiversity.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2021...nuclear-disaster-was-an-environmental-success

Related study.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215009884
 
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"Chernobyl" is from the Russian spelling.
"Chornobyl" is from the Ukrainian spelling.
 
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.Scott said:
"Chernobyl" is from the Russian spelling.
"Chornobyl" is from the Ukrainian spelling.
The authors are connected with different Universities, Sweden, Spain Glasgow not Ukraine.

The frog and study are in the Ukraine so that makes sense.

There are examples where industrialization has influenced natural selection in terms of melanin in the eco system

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_melanism
 

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