— Humans are remarkably close-knit, genetically: of the genetic information that can differ from person to person, less than 10% of this variation is specific to any particular population, while the remaining 90% of differences are seen throughout all human populations! Yet, people have migrated to populate diverse and extreme environments worldwide, including hot, humid rainforests, arid deserts, and parched, freezing tundra. How humans are able to survive and reproduce under so many different conditions is a mystery scientists are just beginning to understand. New research offers tantalizing clues as to how populations living in the highlands of Tibet, Ethiopia, and the Andes are able to cope with atmospheric oxygen pressures as low as 60% of that at sea level. Continue reading High-Altitude-Hypoxia: Many solutions to one problem