title: Limits on inferring genetic adaptation to high altitude in Himalayan and Andean populations.
abstract: Many physiological and anthropological studies have investigated the unique Andean and Himalayan populations that have resided for many hundreds of generations at high altitude (HA). A nonscientific survey of the extant literature reveals a relatively liberal tradition of inferring genetic (evolutionary) adaptation to HA in these groups, often based on limited evidence and/or based on study designs insufficient to fully address the issue. In order to provide some perspective, I review relevant methodological issues that should be considered before evolutionary inference is made. On the whole, this paper takes a conservative stance and cautions against evolutionary inference based on the serious limitations of currently applied research approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, The State University of New York, Albany New York 12222, USA. tbrutsae@csc.albany.edu
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Brutsaert
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000235:genetics*; D000531:Altitude; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D002677:Chile; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009390:Nepal; D012641:Selection, Genetic