You will find geladas exclusively in the Ethiopian Highlands — 2000-4000 meters above sea level (convert to feet). In order to thrive in this cold, low oxygen environment, the geladas have likely needed to develop myriad adaptations. These adaptations should be reflected in both their physiology and genome. We combine molecular, hormonal, and physiological approaches to identify these adaptations in the gelada monkeys and how they may have evolved to help geladas thrive in the stressful high altitude environment. We are currently in the process of assembling a genome of the gelada monkey using a combination of sequencing techniques, which we will compare to other primate species as well as other animals that have adapted to high altitude environments. Together, these studies will advance our knowledge of genotype-phenotype relationships underlying high-altitude adaptations.