Overview
- The study, published July 9, combined five years of high‑altitude expeditions, laboratory cold‑and‑low‑oxygen experiments and whole‑genome sequencing of 167 specimens collected from sea level to Andean summits.
- High‑elevation mice showed higher oxygen consumption and greater thermogenic capacity driven by shivering muscles and more active brown fat, plus increased mitochondrial respiratory capacity in skeletal muscle.
- Genomic scans identified targeted selection on genes tied to energy metabolism, mitochondrial function and vascular regulation while finding little overall genetic differentiation across elevations, indicating strong selection maintains summit traits despite high gene flow.
- Researchers unexpectedly found selection on biotransformation and detoxification genes and stomach‑content evidence for lichens and other plant remains, suggesting a harsh, toxin‑rich diet at high elevations is an important axis of adaptation that still needs detailed study.
- Teams plan further sampling on the eastern Andean slopes and functional follow‑ups to test candidate genes, and the integrated results may offer new models for coping with chronic hypoxia relevant to animal ecology and human health research.