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Indigenous highlanders living in the Andean Altiplano in South America, in the Tibetan plateau in Asia, and the highest elevations of the Ethiopian highlands in East Africa have all adapted in living in an environment of oxygen-thin air. Researchers have found that _____

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Final answer:

Indigenous populations in the Andean Altiplano, the Tibetan plateau, and the Ethiopian highlands have developed unique adaptations to thrive in high elevations with low oxygen levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

Researchers have found that indigenous populations living in high elevations such as the Andean Altiplano, the Tibetan plateau, and the Ethiopian highlands have adapted to low-oxygen environments in different ways. For example, Tibetans breathe more frequently to compensate for the thin air, while Andeans possess higher hemoglobin concentrations in their blood. Interestingly, Ethiopians living at high altitudes do not exhibit these specific adaptations, and the mechanism behind their adjustment to the hypoxic conditions remains a topic of ongoing study.