Mutations (Great Nuclear War)

Animal populations affected are mostly those with high reproductive rates, such as many rodent species, insects, dogs, and cats. Other affected groups are amphibians, as they are easily affected by environmental toxins.

Humans
Human Mutation is incredibly rare (as humans oft take precautions from radiation, and have a low gestation rate), and the majority of cases are cancer, though some hox gene mutations do occur, such as polydactyly, oligodactyly, cleft lips, and others. Some (notably small and isolated) populations propagate specific hox mutations through their communities due to inbreeding. Examples include the Cro Nation of Northern Michigan, where nearly 60% of the populace has gigantism, or Tennessee, where a sizable portion of Gatlinburg (nearly 40%) has ectrodactyly, also known as lobster hands.

Cro
Gigantism in Cro leads to many health problems, such as disc problems, joint pain and failure, arthritis, increased nutritional needs, and heart murmurs. On the other hand, Cro afflicted by gigantism are seen as greater warriors, being faster and stronger than their average counterparts, and often gaining more combat prowess.

Amphibians
In many places, the amphibian population was given a hard blow by the Great Nuclear War. Rivers would flood with heavy metals, pollutants, and irradiated particles; wherein frogs, salamanders, and the like would absorb these harmful chemicals through the skin, often leading to deformity in the offspring, ranging from extra (or fewer) legs to total blindness. Such deformed frogs go by many names, such as polliwogs, kermits, and in the case of aberrant toads; woads.