Tibetan Altitude Mutation

Anyone planning to climb Mt. Everest will require the assistance of a Sherpa guide. Most of people, however, believe that this is due to the Sherpas' superior knowledge of the terrain. A spectacular mutation is to blame. The Tibetans moved up a few thousand years ago while the rest of the population stayed down. As these two populations passed down through generations, substantial alterations began to emerge. Now, the Han Chinese people who dwell in the lowlands are nowhere near as capable of living at high altitudes as the Tibetans are. The Tibetan population demonstrates very apparent genetic changes that allow them to not only survive but thrive at altitudes that would cause those of people who live at sea level to pause every few minutes to catch breath.

Tibetans have a distinct mutation in the EPAS1 gene. The gene is involved in red blood cell formation and blood oxygen levels. Only 9% of the Han group, from which the Tibetan population descended thousands of years ago, carries this gene mutation. However, 87% of Tibetans have it. It does not increase the number of red blood cells; rather, it empowers them to accomplish more with fewer.

If you don't have this gene, you'll suffer altitude sickness rapidly if you try to live like the Tibetans. They reside 4,000 meters above sea level, where the oxygen level is 40% lower. However, because of this mutation, they can labor as hard as any of us at sea level.