A rare genetic adaptation helps Kenya’s Turkana people survive extreme dehydration, according to the Cornell Chronicle. A Cornell-backed study found that a gene variant—STC1—lets their kidneys conserve water and protect against a meat-heavy diet, likely evolving 5,000–8,000 years ago as the region dried out.
Researchers say natural selection strongly favored the adaptation: Turkana with the gene had about 5% more children on average. The team also linked similar adaptations in another East African group, suggesting a regional response to climate shifts.
But as many Turkana move to cities, that once-beneficial gene may now increase risk for chronic diseases like hypertension—a case of evolutionary mismatch.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].