Publication

This paper discusses the physiological stress of the Kyrgyz population caused by coldness and high altitude. First, it provides a basic overview of the pastoral production strategies adopted or modified by the Kyrgyz in response to their confinement in the Wakhan mountains. Second, it describes the physiological adaptations that occur as a result of permanent and generational residence at high altitude. The paper finds that the Kyrgyz show few of the developmental and none of the genetic adaptations that have been suggested to exist among indigenous highland populations.