Blond hair has more genetic variants

Neon Knight Tue 8 Jan - 20:56

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6563471/Not-dumb-Blonds-complex-DNA-study-says.html Quoting (slightly edited):

* The lighter locks of blondes are far more complex than scientists thought
* Study reveals blonde hair needs 200 genetic variants but just 60 for brown hair
* Only 12.7 per cent of women have pure blonde hair and 9.9 per cent of men
* The finding may explain why truly blonde people are rarer than other colours

Blondes may have a ditzy reputation, but their lighter locks are far more complex than scientists thought. For true blonde hair requires some 200 genetic variants – compared with 60 for brown hair and even less for redheads.

In one of the biggest studies of its kind scientists at the Medical Research Council’s human genetics unit analysed DNA from 39,397 blonde women and men of European descent.

It was assumed that blonde hair had a basic genetic structure but the finding may explain why truly blonde people are rarer than other colours. Only 12.7 per cent of women have pure blonde hair, and 9.9 per cent of men.

One theory is that blonde hair evolved at the end of the Ice Age, when females outnumbered males. Blondeness may have developed as a way to stand out.

OsricPearl Tue 15 Jan - 3:25

This doesn't surprise me. I think that it would take more variants to create such a pale shade from what was once black hair.

Blond hair has more genetic variants

Blond hair has more genetic variants

Re: Blond hair has more genetic variants