Genetic adaptations found in people living at high elevations on the Tibetan plateau probably originated around 30,000 years ago in peoples related to contemporary Sherpa.

These genes were passed on to more recent migrants from lower elevations via population mixing, and then amplified by natural selection in the modern Tibetan gene pool, a new study shows.

Researchers say the transfer of beneficial mutations between human populations and selective enrichment of these genes in descendent generations represents a novel mechanism for adaptation to new environments.

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Read the full, original story: Genetic mix lets Tibetans thrive at high altitudes