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Problems With Developmental Stability In Two Rodent Species From Chornobyl, Taras K. Oleksyk, Michael H. Smith, Sergiy P. Gashchak, James M. Novak, James R. Purdue
Problems With Developmental Stability In Two Rodent Species From Chornobyl, Taras K. Oleksyk, Michael H. Smith, Sergiy P. Gashchak, James M. Novak, James R. Purdue
Faculty Research & Creative Activity
Changes in developmental patterns are some of the most important effects that may be observed at radioactively contaminated sites like those at Chornobyl. Developmental instability may arise from the interactions between an organism's genotype and its environment and be manifested as deviant morphology. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is a measure of deviations from the expected bilateral symmetry of the body. Our objective was to test for differences in FA in two rodent species (Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus) that live in habitats suirounding the failed Chornobyl reactor. Rodents were collected from four different locations (two contaminated and two reference sites), and …