Many possible mutations would confer advantage for high altitude living.
More efficient hemoglobin
or more red blood cells
or more efficient use of oxygen by muscle cells
or better lungs
or more oxygen storage capacity in tissues
or less restrictions in sinus passages
or less susceptibility to edema at altitude
or better absorption of nutrients that help high altitude acclimatization
or the ability to acclimatize faster
or the ability to start to acclimatize at a lower altitude
or the ability to shunt oxygen away from digestion (or something) and towards musculature
Someone trained in physiology could probably come up with a hundred more. And of course, these favorable mutations should not have a disadvantage, increased susceptibility to viruses, for instance, or that make bones brittle. Probably thousands of ways to have something good go wrong, under the right conditions.
More efficient hemoglobin
or more red blood cells
or more efficient use of oxygen by muscle cells
or better lungs
or more oxygen storage capacity in tissues
or less restrictions in sinus passages
or less susceptibility to edema at altitude
or better absorption of nutrients that help high altitude acclimatization
or the ability to acclimatize faster
or the ability to start to acclimatize at a lower altitude
or the ability to shunt oxygen away from digestion (or something) and towards musculature
Someone trained in physiology could probably come up with a hundred more. And of course, these favorable mutations should not have a disadvantage, increased susceptibility to viruses, for instance, or that make bones brittle. Probably thousands of ways to have something good go wrong, under the right conditions.
