Tibetan altitude gene inherited 'from extinct species'

[theHandpuppet]

Tibetan altitude gene inherited 'from extinct species'
By Paul Rincon
Science editor, BBC News website
2 July, 2014

A gene that allows present-day people to cope with life at high altitude was inherited from an extinct species of human, Nature journal has reported.

The variant of the EPAS-1 gene, which affects blood oxygen, is common in Tibetans - many of whom live at altitudes of 4,000m all year round.

But the DNA sequence matches one found in the extinct Denisovan people...

...Both the Neanderthals - who emerged around 400,000 years ago and lived in Europe and western Asia until 35,000 years ago - and the enigmatic Denisovans contributed DNA to present-day people....

MORE at http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28127785

[angstlessk]

1. Wonder what corporation will claim a patent on that gene?

Then sell it to mountain climbers?

I only wanted to say it was interesting, then realized...interesting is something commercial

[theHandpuppet]

2. Ha! Never even occurred to me.

Guess that shows how naïve I am.