Ginger
Do you have red hair? Do you know someone hit with the ginger stick? Tell us your story.
( , Thu 25 Feb 2010, 12:54)
Do you have red hair? Do you know someone hit with the ginger stick? Tell us your story.
( , Thu 25 Feb 2010, 12:54)
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Red genes
Red/ginger hair and pale skin is caused by a mutation in a gene called MCR1. The mutation can arise spontaneously in different poulations, so not all red heads have to be of Celtic origin. It isn't a form of blond though, it's controlled by a separate allele (variant of a gene) that is different to the allele (or alleles plural, possibly) that confers blondeness. There are redheaded Scandinavians because there are redhead alleles in the Scandinavian gene pool, although these may well be a different sort of mutation to the Celtic redhead version.
Researchers did find, after studying some ancient DNA, that even Neanderthals had mutations in their version of the MCR1 gene, meaning there were ginger neanderthals too. The research also helps to show that Neanderthals did not directly contribute to the modern human gene pool, since the mutation is at a different place along the gene to the one found in modern humans.
Hope that helps answer your question
( , Wed 3 Mar 2010, 14:04, 1 reply)
Red/ginger hair and pale skin is caused by a mutation in a gene called MCR1. The mutation can arise spontaneously in different poulations, so not all red heads have to be of Celtic origin. It isn't a form of blond though, it's controlled by a separate allele (variant of a gene) that is different to the allele (or alleles plural, possibly) that confers blondeness. There are redheaded Scandinavians because there are redhead alleles in the Scandinavian gene pool, although these may well be a different sort of mutation to the Celtic redhead version.
Researchers did find, after studying some ancient DNA, that even Neanderthals had mutations in their version of the MCR1 gene, meaning there were ginger neanderthals too. The research also helps to show that Neanderthals did not directly contribute to the modern human gene pool, since the mutation is at a different place along the gene to the one found in modern humans.
Hope that helps answer your question
( , Wed 3 Mar 2010, 14:04, 1 reply)
In that case,
I stand corrected, red hair is not hair on the way to being blond, but rather a separate step which is, in certain situations, more advantagous than blond or dark hair.
The wikipedia article is quite good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blond#cite_note-Robins-17
( , Wed 3 Mar 2010, 14:17, closed)
I stand corrected, red hair is not hair on the way to being blond, but rather a separate step which is, in certain situations, more advantagous than blond or dark hair.
The wikipedia article is quite good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blond#cite_note-Robins-17
( , Wed 3 Mar 2010, 14:17, closed)
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