It's a genetic adaptation that allows Tibetans to live in such high altitudes

The Tibetan Plateau has an average elevation of 14,800 feet. Ben Nevis, the highest point in the British Isles, is 4,406 feet. Needless to say, most of us would struggle living in Tibet.

Now research from the University of Utah has shown a genetic mutation, or adaptation, which helps Tibetans thrive in conditions many of us couldn’t cope with.

Senior author and University of Utah professor of internal medicine, Josef Prchal, MD, needed donations of blood from Tibetans from which he could extract their DNA – but he quickly learned it would be a tough task. It took a letter from the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, for him to gain their trust.