Mmastodon ScienceBiology first seen 2 d ago, last 6 min ago, peak #2

Andean communities carry genes that let them tolerate arsenic

Original: 💧 TIL: Generations of # human populations living high in the Argentinian # Andes have survived by drinking groundwater h

Indigenous populations living high in the Argentinian Andes have for generations survived on groundwater naturally contaminated with arsenic from volcanic bedrock. Recent genetic analyses show these communities carry specific gene variants that enable their bodies to metabolise the poison, a rare example of recent human adaptation to a toxic environment.

Why now: New genetic findings about human adaptation to arsenic-contaminated water are a striking example of recent evolution.

Argentinian AndesIndigenous Andean communities

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Evidence

• 💧 TIL: Generations of # human populations living high in the Argentinian # Andes have survived by drinking groundwater heavily contaminated with natural # arsenic from volcanic bedrock. Recent genetic analyses reveal that these communities carry specific gene variants enabling… · tksst@fediscience.org · 3

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