From Sky News.

 

Sherpas like Tenzing Norgay, who along with Edmund Hillary first conquered Everest, have inherited genes from a long-extinct human sub-species that help them cope with living high in the mountains.

A 160,000-year-old jawbone found in a cave has revealed the ancient human species Denisovans lived at altitudes of 11,000ft.

Scientists say the extinct race of Neanderthal-like humans lived on the oxygen-starved Tibet plateau more than 100,000 years ago.

They also discovered the Denisovans passed on genes that help some modern-day people survive at high altitudes.

The jawbone was unearthed in Baishiya Karst Cave in Xiahe, China, which stands at an altitude of 10,760ft (3,280m).

 

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