The Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011 has given rise to a unique species of wild boar, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
This is attested by scientists investigating the effects of the nuclear disaster on animals in the area. However, radiation has not had adverse effects on their genetics, the authors state.
But, in the absence of humans, domestic pigs have been raised with wild boars, mating and creating a new hybrid species. For the study, the researchers analyzed DNA samples from muscles from 243 wild boar, pig and wild boar-pig hybrids, taken from local slaughterhouses. The results indicated that 31 wild boars, or 16% of the wild boars in the evacuated area, were hybrids.
“We show evidence of successful hybridization between pigs and native wild boars in this area. We recommend that future studies evaluate the suitability of these hybrids and better characterize their ecological niche, ” the experts clarify.
Although wild boars are radioactive, the study did not link the radioactivity to the creation of the new hybrid species.
“While wild boar and hybrids are technically radioactive, radiation had nothing to do with genetic changes, this was the pigs’ fault,” they conclude.
Referencia: Introgression dynamics from invasive pigs into wild boar following the March 2011 natural and anthropogenic disasters at FukushimaDonovan Anderson† , Yuki Negishi , Hiroko Ishiniwa , Kei Okuda , Thomas G. Hinton , Rio Toma , Junco Nagata , Hidetoshi B. Tamate and Shingo Kaneko
Published:30 June 2021https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0874
