Modern X-Men: Why Nepalese people continue to mutate

This time, the object of study of British researchers were Nepalese living at an altitude of more than 3.5 kilometers. It turned out that because of the special (unfavorable) living conditions, their hands are shorter than those of people living in the valleys.

Scientists have come to the conclusion that shortened upper limbs are a kind of adaptation of the body to harsh conditions. Nepalis have to adapt to low temperatures, oxygen starvation, increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation and lack of nutrients.

You ask: how will short pens help to cope with all this? The fact is that due to the lack of substances necessary for the normal development of the embryo, the body begins to sacrifice something in order to save resources for what is really important - the brain. The choice of evolution fell on his hands.

The hypothesis also works in the highlands of the Andes, where shortened arms and legs were recorded in children under 14 years old — this is due to a reduction in the length of the forearms and shins. The hands and feet have not undergone any changes, they do not differ from those used by the inhabitants of the plains.

According to scientists, the difference between the inhabitants of the plains and highlands of Nepal should be more significant than in the Andes, because the conditions in the Himalayas are much more severe. Therefore, in fact, the study was conducted.

It was attended by 254 Nepalese residents of both sexes from 18 to 59 years old — their height and hand proportions were measured. Each of the participants in the experiment was a Sherpa by nationality, they had a similar diet and level of physical fitness.

There was only one difference among the subjects: 183 people lived at an altitude of more than 3500 meters, 71 people lived at an altitude of 1400 meters. It turned out that the inhabitants of the mountains have hands 1-3 cm shorter than the inhabitants of the plains. And also, depending on the height, there was no difference in the length of the forearms in men, but in women living in the highlands, the arms were 1 cm shorter than in the inhabitants of the foothills.