Red-Hair Gene Variants Hint at Ongoing Human Evolution via Vitamin D
TL;DR Summary
A Harvard-led study analyzing about 16,000 ancient genomes and DNA from over 6,000 modern people identifies around 479 genetic variants under selection in the last 10,000 years, including MC1R variants linked to red hair and pale skin, which may have spread because pale skin absorbs vitamin D more efficiently as farming diets became common.
- Evolution Favored Genes Linked to Red Hair – And Vitamin D May Be Why ScienceAlert
- Humans Are Still Evolving. Natural Selection Has Favored Genes Linked to Red Hair and Less Male-Pattern Baldness, a Study Suggests Smithsonian Magazine
- Ancient DNA Study Reveals Human Evolution Is Happening Faster Than We Thought SciTechDaily
- Evolution By Natural Selection Has Still Been Shaping The Human Species Over The Last 10,000 Years: Here's How IFLScience
- New secrets of human evolution unlocked in study of ancient DNA from Europe and Near East The Times of Israel
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