DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

How natural selection is increasing the number of redheads

2026-04-24 17:51:39Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
How natural selection is increasing the number of redheads
Photo illustration

A new scientific study suggests that red hair – once a relatively rare trait – may be becoming increasingly common, as a result of ongoing evolutionary processes in humans.

The study, published in Nature, analyzed the DNA of about 10,000 ancient human remains from Europe and parts of Asia, along with thousands of modern samples. The results show that natural selection has had a much greater impact on human evolution over the past 300,000 years than previously believed.

At the heart of this study is the concept of Directed Selection, a form of natural selection that favors specific traits – in this case red hair and fair skin. The scientists identified 479 genetic variations strongly influenced by this process, far more than the approximately 20 cases previously known.

According to researchers, lifestyle changes – such as the shift from hunting and gathering to farming – have accelerated the spread or disappearance of certain genes. This has affected not only physical traits but also health predispositions.

According to the researchers, traits such as red hair and fair skin may have provided an advantage in vitamin D production in regions with little sunlight, helping populations in northern Europe survive. However, they point out that some of these changes may have come about as a “side effect” of selection for other, more important traits.

Among the traits that have become more common today are red hair, white skin, as well as some biological characteristics related to health, such as resistance to certain infections or risk for diseases such as Crohn's and celiac disease.

Interestingly, some genetic changes seem less intuitive. For example, gluten intolerance has increased in parallel with the spread of agriculture and wheat consumption—a development that defies classical expectations of adaptation.

The study's lead author, David Reich of Harvard University, says the findings help establish a "time and place" for the forces that shaped human evolution. His team aims to expand the research to other regions, such as East Asia and East Africa, to identify more genetic variations important for disease prevention.

Overall, the study offers a clearer picture of our biological history – and suggests that human evolution is not a stagnant process, but an active mechanism that continues to influence who we are today.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×