2023 journal article
Population dynamics and genome-wide selection scan for dogs in Chernobyl
Canine Medicine and Genetics, 10(1).
TL;DR:
The impact of this disaster on the population structure of free-breeding dogs that live around the power plant and in the nearby city of Chernobyl is addressed and genetic approaches are used to understand how these two populations of dogs interact and their breed composition so that it is understood how they have adapted to over 30 years of exposure to this harsh environment.
(via Semantic Scholar)
open access via cgejournal.biomedcentral.com (publisher PDF)
Source: ORCID
Added: March 10, 2023
Abstract Background Natural and anthropogenic disasters can have long-lasting impacts on the genetics and structure of impacted populations. The 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster led to extensive contamination of the local environment and the wildlife therein. Several ecological, environmental, and genetic studies reported various effects of this disaster on animal, insect, and plant species; however, little work has been done to investigate the genetics of the free-breeding dogs that occupy the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). Results We define the population genetic structure of two groups of dogs that reside within the CEZ, one around the reactor site itself and another living within Chernobyl City. We found little evidence of gene flow and a significant degree of genetic differentiation between the two populations dogs, suggesting that these are two distinct populations despite occupying areas located just 16 km apart. With an FST-based outlier analysis, we then performed a genome-wide scan for evidence of directional selection within the dog populations. We found 391 outlier loci associated with genomic regions influenced by directional selection, from which we identified 52 candidate genes. Conclusions Our genome scan highlighted outlier loci within or near genomic regions under directional selection, possibly in response to the multi-generational exposure faced. In defining the population structure and identifying candidate genes for these dog populations, we take steps towards understanding how these types of prolonged exposures have impacted these populations.