| Abstract: | Both the results of our investigations and published data on mammalian radioresistance, biological characteristics and ecological factors which modify it are generalized in this paper. The described diversity among large taxa in radioresistance is based on the data obtained on the rodents from the Old and the New Worlds (totally 51 samples from 22 genera of four families--Sciurudae, Muridae, Cricetidae, Heteromyidae). It was found that radioresistance substantially depended on which family the species belonged. The main biological characteristics and ecological factors (body size, nutrition type, biotopical restriction) were revealed; in sum they determined 40% of radioresistance of small mammals. |
