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Chernobyl Worms Found to Have 'Super Power'. Worms living near the notorious nuclear disaster zone appear to have developed an immunity to radiation, 'The Independent' reports. Tiny worms known as nematodes were gathered by scientists at Chernobyl as part of a new study. The worms had been exposed to levels of radiation ranging from low levels in cities to high levels detected in outer space. They were taken to New York University to be studied. "Chernobyl was a tragedy of incomprehensible scale, but we still don't have a great grasp on the effects of the disaster on local populations.", "Did the sudden environmental shift select for species, or even individuals within a species, that are naturally more resistant to ionizing radiation?", Dr. Sophia Tintor, lead author of the study, to 'The Daily Mail'. 20 genetically-different worms were examined. "These worms live everywhere, and they live quickly, so they go through dozens of generations of evolution while a typical vertebrate is still putting on its shoes.", Matthew Rockman, a biology professor at New York University, via 'The Independent'. Researchers found that the worms' genomes were not damaged by the radiation. Such discoveries may help to better understand natural variation, 'The Independent' reports. Other animals that continue to live at Chernobyl include bears, wolves, dogs, deer, wild boar, beavers, amphibians and more, according to Mental Floss. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT