Genetics of Oxygen Transport in High Altitude Natives

人类生物学家对高海拔种群的适应性进行了数十年的研究，并确定了高海拔安第斯和喜马拉雅种群（以及低海拔种群）之间存在生理差异。然而，在确定喜马拉雅或安第斯高海拔人口的氧运输系统中关键成分的遗传方式方面没有取得任何进展，因此，目前还不可能推断出这些差异是遗传的、环境的、或者是基因和环境相互作用的产物。采用一种新的统计遗传分析技术对来自这些地区的家庭数据进行分析，该项目将解决这一重要问题。一项初步研究表明，成功的机会非常大。

Human biologists have studied the adaptations of high altitude populations for decades, and have established the existence of physiological differences between high altitude Andean and Himalayan groups (and low altitude groups). However, no progress has been made in determining the mode of inheritance of critical components in the oxygen transport systems of either Himalayan or Andean high altitude populations, so that currently it is not possible to deduce that the differences are hereditary, environomental, or a product of gene-environment interactions. Employing a novel statistical genetic analytic technique on family data from these areas, this project will address this important issue. A pilot study suggests the chances for success are excellent.