Red Hair The general consensus is that the first red headed human appeared in Africa about 50,000 years ago and then people with fiery hair began migrating to Europe. But how did red hair happen? Scientists have declared that red hair is a genetic mutation of sorts which occurs in less than three percent of the entire human population. In some areas, such as Great Britain, red hair occurs in as much as six percent of the population. It is the rarest hair color among humans and is often also associated with very fair skin, light colored eyes and freckles. The genetic culprit is the gene melanocortin 1 receptor, or MC1R. MC1R is located in the cell membrane and is affected by the pituitary gland. The pigment pheomelanin is what gives hair its red color. 50,000 years ago, a genetic anomaly occurred that caused MC1R to release more pheomelanin that normal and, viola, a redhead was born. Red hair is referred to as a recessive gene. For a recessive trait to be inherited, both parents have to be carrying a copy of the trait in their DNA. Because both parents need to have the recessive gene to pass it on to their children, certain traits often skip at least one generation.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 22:48:34 +0000
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