January 27th, 2012
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 105
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Genomic Research on High-Altitude Adaptations in Ethiopians Shows Convergent Evolution With Groups in Tibet and Andes
http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/p...de-adaptations
Quote:
Over many generations, people living in the high-altitude regions of the Andes or on the Tibetan Plateau have adapted to life in low-oxygen conditions. Living with such a distinct and powerful selective pressure has made these populations a textbook example of evolution in action, but exactly how their genes convey a survival advantage remains an open question. Now, a University of Pennsylvania team has made new inroads to answering this question with the first genome-wide study of high-altitude adaptations within the third major population to possess them: the Amhara people of the Ethiopian Highlands.
Surprisingly, all three groups’ adaptations appear to involve different genetic mutations, an example of convergent evolution.
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