InterViews 

Cynthia Beall
anthropology
(recorded in 2003)

Cynthia Beall has performed groundbreaking research on human evolution and adaptation to the environment, particularly in places where there is little air to breathe. She is known for her analyses of differences in oxygen delivery traits among indigenous populations of the Tibetan, Andean, and East African plateaus. Beall's biological and cultural research among the native populations of the Andes and Himalayas has provided the first firm evidence that these populations have adapted to the harsh thin-air environments by evolving genetic and developmental responses that enhance their bodies' capabilities in harsh thin-air environments. Another area of her research is the influence of the sociocultural environment, which can either create or buffer stress and can have beneficial or detrimental effects on human biology. Beall earned a degree in biology from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in anthropology from Pennsylvania State University in 1976. She joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University in 1976 and where she is the S. Idell Pyle Professor of Anthropology.

Listen to the Interview (requires free RealPlayer software):

 TRACK 1
Beall describes her early interest in studying physical anthropology as an undergraduate student and the influences that led her to focus on human adaptability to high altitudes. She defines hypoxia and how it manifests at different altitudes, noting the reactions of the conquistadors to the Andes. It wasn't until the late 1880s that scientists began physiologic investigations of the Andean population. (9 minutes)

 TRACK 2
Beginning in the 1970s, opportunities opened to study Tibetan natives. Beall describes striking physiological differences in the ways Tibetans and Andeans have adapted to high altitudes. Tibetans have a higher capacity respiratory system, she explains, while Andeans have a high hemoglobin concentration in their blood. A third pattern of adaptability may emerge with the study of Ethiopians living at high altitudes. (11 minutes)

 TRACK 3
Beall identifies new avenues for research to discover more about the genetics behind different traits in high-altitude populations. Identifying how long a population has lived in a region can help scientists assess how fast evolution has occurred. Answers to questions about the nature of adaptability will depend on advances in population genetics and genome scans, she notes. (8 minutes)

 TRACK 4
Beall explains aspects of oxygen content and delivery and the role of nitric oxide in the bloodstream. She talks about collaborating with colleagues and keeping up with related findings by other researchers. Studies on mitochondrial DNA, using some of the samples she collected, could be used to look more closely at the relationship between high- and low-altitude populations in the same region. (8 minutes)

 TRACK 5
To conduct on-site studies, Beall says she typically travels with 20 duffel bags of equipment and materials. She describes her experiences working with foreign governments and indigenous populations, and explains how local customs and mythologies affect how she conducts her fieldwork. (8 minutes)

 TRACK 6
Beall describes her current areas of research, how they apply to athletes, and the efforts of scientists to predict health risks for individuals traveling to high-altitude areas. Beall defines her mission as being able to demonstrate that natural selection has worked differently in the three native populations she is studying. (9 minutes)

Last Updated: 07-26-2004