Rapid Evolution

In just 3,000 years, an evolutionary microsecond, Tibetans have developed a unique version of a gene that helps them adapt to living at high altitudes. This according to a study published in Science. “‘The change at this particular position in Tibetan highlanders represents one of the most dramatic examples of genetic change in recent human history,’ said University of Nebraska evolutionary geneticist Jay Storz, who was not involved in the study. ‘It really is a great story about how the human gene pool is still being shaped by the forces of natural selection.’ The researchers calculated that the Tibetan and Chinese populations separated about 3,000 years ago.”