The 100's Grounders are a hardy bunch, but just how did they manage to survive a nuclear apocalypse that wiped out the majority of the human race?

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It's a question that has plagued The 100's viewers for two seasons now, and the writers have recently shed a little light on the origins of Lexa and Lincoln's people. From sheer luck to an ability to withstand high radiation levels, the Grounders found more than one way to keep humanity alive.

"The nuclear attack wiped out most of the planet (that we know of...). But life finds a way (to mis-quote Jurassic Park). Not everyone died on our planet. The Mountain Men survived beneath the surface, the Sky People survived up in space, and the Grounders... well, the Grounders found a way to ride out the radiation and persevere," writer Aaron Ginsburg explained. "We haven't discussed "how," specifically, but they were likely not directly near a blast-area (or far enough from the worst of the radiation) and trust me, their lives are short and brutal. It's a miracle so many of them made it..."

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Clarke and Co. stumbled across an unused bunker back in season 1, and the teens lamented the fact that, even if a family had made it to their shelter in time, their supplies would have ran out long before radiation levels subsided. In short, Doomsday preppers wouldn't have made a major contribution to the continuation of society.

"The doomsday preppers only lasted a few years," series creator Jason Rothenberg confirmed. "Most cases, not long enough to have kids as lifespan early on was so short."

Does this news put your mind at ease, or are you hoping season 3 will shed a little more light on the past? Spoiler Alert: it most definitely will.

Catch The 100 when the Arkers and the Grounders return to The CW in 2016.

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