Tibetans Got High-Altitude Gene From Archaic Humans
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Tibetans, who thrive in an oxygen-scarce, high-altitude environment that leaves most gasping for breath, may have inherited their ability to adapt from an ancient human ancestor discovered just four years ago.
Earlier studies identified a version of a gene called EPAS1 as being responsible to Tibetans’ ability to adjust to their environment 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. An analysis of the variant, which isn’t found in other peoples, showed it in the remains of a Denisovan, the name for a species of human that lived about 41,000 years ago.