Red hair gene favoured by natural selection over last 10,000 years, study finds
Scientists who analysed nearly 16,000 ancient remains suggest red hair and fair skin is favoured for vitamin D production
www.theguardian.comLatest headlines indicate a major study finds natural selection has increased red hair–related genes in West Eurasia over the last 10,000+ years, likely linked to vitamin D synthesis in lower-sunlight regions. The work uses extensive ancient DNA data and suggests ongoing evolution beyond the shift to agriculture, with red hair and fair skin among the traits that rose in frequency.[1][3]
What this means in context
- Core finding: Red hair, fair skin, and certain immune-related variants appear to have been favored by natural selection in recent human history, especially in Europe.[3][1]
- Mechanism: The red hair/fair skin signal is thought to reflect advantages in vitamin D production in environments with less sunlight, rather than a direct selection for hair color alone.[1][3]
- Caveats: The strongest signals come from West Eurasian populations due to data availability; global patterns require more data to confirm, and not every redhead lineage shows the same selective pressures.[3]
Notable sources you can check
- Guardian summary of the study and its implications for human evolution.[1]
- Independent and related coverage highlighting vitamin D and other health associations tied to the evolving allele frequencies.[3]
- A science-focused takeaway explaining how ancient DNA time series reveal real-time shifts in allele frequencies.[3]
If you want, I can pull direct quotes, compare interpretations across outlets, or summarize the methods and data sets used in the study.