Mount Everest is astoundingly tall at 29,032 feet above sea level, besting its Himalayan neighbors by hundreds of feet. But the world’s tallest peak is still growing, scientists say, thanks in part to the merger of two nearby river systems tens of thousands of years ago. Everest has gained between about 50 and 160 feet as a result of that merger, researchers revealed in a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. Researchers also say this could explain why Everest is unusually tall, reaching nearly 800 feet higher than its neighbors. “While not entirely revolutionary, these findings are certainly surprising,” Dai said, adding that they could lead to a re-examination of current models of Himalayan formation and evolution.

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Persons: Everest, ” Dai Jingen, ”, Dai, ” Dai Organizations: Nature, China University of Geosciences, NBC News Locations: Everest, Beijing, Eurasia