Mutations in same gene allow two different groups of humans to thrive at extreme altitudes

The high life is a lot harder than it sounds. Most people are accustomed to living at low elevations and struggle to breathe at high altitudes. But thin air isn’t a problem for the Quechua people of Peru, who have survived—and thrived—high in the Andes Mountains for more than 10,000 years. Now, the authors of a new study published in Science Advances have pinpointed a genetic variant that may have helped this population adapt to life at extraordinary heights . Tibetans in the Himalayas possess a different mutation in the same gene, suggesting both groups independently evolved similar adaptations to high-altitude living. The finding demonstrates “how evolution can sometimes favor common solutions to a common problem,” says Graham Scott, a physiologist at McMaster University who wasn’t involved in the study. The human body is best suited for life at or just above sea level, where oxygen is plentiful. Venture above 2500 meters, and you may suffer the effects of altitude sickness—a type of hypoxia that can cause nausea, confusion, and swelling of the lungs and brain. Living at high altitudes for long periods can cause chronic mountain sickness, boosting the risk of heart problems, stroke, and complications during pregnancy and birth. But certain populations, including South American and Tibetan highlanders, can live and work comfortably at altitudes of more than 4000 meters. Although these groups share some physiological traits...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news