title: Biological consequences of increased natural radiation background for Microtus oeconomus Pall. populations.
abstract: The results of long-term investigations (1981-1999) on the state of Microtus oeconomus Pall. (tundra vole) population, living under the increased natural radiation background for a long time (for more than 100 generations), are presented. Population density dynamics, morphophysiological parameters, state of the lipid peroxidation regulatory system in different tissues and the cytogenetic effects in bone marrow cells of animals have been analyzed. It is shown that tundra voles from the studied radioactively contaminated areas differ from those on natural radiation background area for the parameters measured. The results of this long-term investigation show that qualitatively new sub-populations of tundra vole on these areas have evolved, which are able to survive in radioactively contaminated environment.
authors.affiliation: Radioecology Department, Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Division RAS, 28 Kommunisticheskaya ul., Syktyvkar 167982, Komi Republic, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Alevtina G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kudyasheva
authors.forename: Ludmila N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Shishkina
authors.forename: Oksana G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Shevchenko
authors.forename: Ludmila A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bashlykova
authors.forename: Nadezhda G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Zagorskaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000254:growth & development*; D001417:Background Radiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*