The survival in the heights of the yaks

The yaks, protagonists of the #Sciencetothebeast, they can live at altitudes between 3,000 and 6,000 meters in environments with little oxygen thanks to their genetics. If lived in these conditions for a long time, other animals – just like humans – could experience serious lung and heart problems.

In frigid environments with little oxygen, few animals are able to adapt to these harsh conditions without causing serious health problems. One of these is the yak, a medium-sized bovid mammal with woolly fur native to the mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas. Until very recently, it was a mystery how it was able to live in the heights.

Recently, a study of the magazine Nature Communications has exposed the genetic and cellular adaptations that allow these animals to survive at high altitudes where it is difficult to breathe. Its survival is explained by a type of lung endothelial cell, specific to these mammals, which plays an important role in their ability to live in hypoxic environments.

Both domestic yaks (bos grunniens) like the savages (bos mutus) they inhabit without complications in regions of high altitude on the Tibetan plateau (between 3,000 and 6,000 meters above sea level) that are characterized by low oxygen concentrations.

Unlike these mighty animals, non-native mammals, including humans, can suffer serious lung and heart problems after prolonged exposure to such conditions. “Our future research aims to reveal at what point in time yaks developed their characteristic lung cells during their evolutionary process”account to SINC Qi-In Yanga co-author of the study and a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology (NWIPB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Yaks, a life in the heights thanks to genetics

To explore how yaks adapt to these environments, Qi-En Yang and other scientists have combined genomic and transcriptomic data to present a highly detailed picture of the genome of both domestic and wild specimens, as well as a map of their different lung cell types.

In total, scientists have identified 127 genes that are expressed differently in yaks compared to European cattle, and discovered a subtype of endothelial cell that is only found in yak lung tissue. It is believed that this cell can make yak blood vessels are more resistant and fibrous, which could help in the demanding task of breathing with relatively little oxygen.

The authors conclude that their findings provide insights into the genetic adaptations of these mammals to high-altitude environments and may have implications for our understanding of the different responses to low-oxygen environments in other species.

The evolution of endemic species

Although this is the first special cell type suspected of having evolved to cope with low-oxygen conditions, the researchers hope that similar cells exist. in antelope and deer They also live on the high plateaus.

“We believe that these cells could be present in other animals that are endemic to the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau and have lived there for millions of years, such as the Tibetan antelope.”says Qi-En Yang. On the contrary, humans might not have themsince these have only occupied the plateau for about 30,000 years, so this evolutionary change would take longer to arrive compared to other species.

Font: Edgar Hans / SINC Agency

Reference article: https://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/La-key-behind-de-la-supervivencia-en-las-alturas-de-los-yaks-sus-celulas-pulmonares