Publications by authors named "Matthew Farson"
Biologists have long pondered the extreme limits of life on Earth, including the maximum elevation at which species can live and reproduce. Here we review evidence of a self-sustaining population of mice at an elevation that exceeds that of all previously reported for mammals. Five expeditions over 10 years to Volcán Llullaillaco on the Argentina/Chile border observed and collected mice at elevations ranging from 5,070 m at the mountain's base to the summit at 6,739 m (22,110 feet).
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- A scientific expedition to Volcán Llullaillaco in northern Chile aimed to explore high-altitude rodent species, motivated by a prior record of mice at extremely high elevations.
- The researchers successfully captured a yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse at the summit of 6,739 meters, setting a new world record for the highest altitude at which a mammal has been found.
- This finding implies that current understanding of altitude limits and physiological abilities of small mammals may be underestimated due to limited exploration of the world's highest peaks.