Evolutionary Tradeoff Among Natives of “The Roof of The World”

Abstract

Tibet, a linkage between two of the world’s most populous countries, sits high at an altitude of about 4,380 meters. For reference, New York City’s highest elevation is 125 meters (USGS, 1995), and Mt. Everest—the tallest mountain in the world—is 8,850 meters tall (Rutledge, 2011). Indigenous Tibetans have evolved with adaptations that allow for them to live more than 4,000 meters above sea level, an altitude that others might find sickening and unbearable to live in.