Researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland have found that animals in lakes closest to the Chernobyl nuclear power station have more genetic mutations than those from further away, giving new insight into the effect of radiation on wild species.

In a paper published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, researchers said DNA analysis of freshwater crustaceans, called Daphnia, revealed greater genetic diversity in lake populations that experienced the highest radiation dose rates following the accident in 1986.

Radiation is the primary cause of these genetic mutations, according to Dr Stuart Auld, who led the research.