Tibetan highlanders have no trouble living at 13,000 feet above sea level and many Nepalese Sherpas, who are Tibetan, climb parts of Mount Everest without the supplementary oxygen most other people require.
How can we explain this in terms of evolution?
A The Highlanders fill a niche, much like Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands.
B Because of their small stature, the Highlanders require less oxygen than people who are taller.
C The Highlanders have evolved unique physiological mechanisms for dealing with low oxygen levels.
D The Tibetans split from the Han Chinese population thousands of years ago and became genetically isolated.
E The Highlanders have lived in this area for so many generations that they have become acclimatized to the oxygen conditions.
C. The Highlanders have evolved unique physiological mechanisms for dealing with low oxygen levels.
Over generations of living in high-altitude environments, the Tibetan highlanders have developed physiological adaptations to cope with low oxygen levels. This includes changes in their blood oxygen levels, increased lung capacity, and alterations in their metabolism. These adaptations allow them to thrive in high-altitude environments where others would struggle.