Nematodes were collected from the exclusion zone area and tested for radiation. (Image: Getty)
Radiation exposure in Chernobyl has caused plants and animals in the area to mutate - but scientists recently discovered worms that have developed a "superpower" in response.
Several animals in the area have displayed unusual mutations to survive in the Exclusion Zone area, which is a 30-mile cordoned-off area around the plant where public access is forbidden.
Background radiation in Chornobyl is up to 100 times higher than in the nearby uncontaminated city of Kyiv.
Frogs living in the exclusion zone have become darker in response to the radiation.
The amphibians evolved dark skin quickly as green frogs were less likely to survive the radioactive conditions, scientists said.
Thousands of people were evacuated out of the area following the explosion. (Image: Getty)
Mutant wolves have also been reportedly roaming the wasteland of Chernobyl after researchers found they show a resilience to cancer.
But surprisingly, a new study has found that worms in Chernobyl have developed a new "superpower," which shows they appear to immune from radiation.
Researchers visited the exclusion zone to study nematodes - tiny worms that are useful for studying basic biological functions.
Matthew Rockman, a professor of biology at NYU and the study's senior author, said: "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."
Scientists were surprised that they could not detect any radition in the worms' genomes, showing that they are "really reilient animals" that can "withstand extreme conditions".
The study's findings give researchers some clues into how DNA repair can vary between animals.
In 1986, a catastrophic explosion at the Chornobyl power plant leaked radioactive matter into the air - causing around 116,000 people to be evacuated from the surrounding area.
The explosion was caused when a reactor went out of control during a test at low power, leading to an explosion and fire that demolished the reactor building.
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