![]() MC1R is like a control point for the pigment melanin. ![]() ![]() Genes don't always dictate that 'boys will be boys' Red hair originates from mutations in a gene involved in skin and hair pigmentation, called melanocortin 1 receptor ( MC1R) on chromosome 16. “Another case is where a gene reduces an individual’s chance of reproducing, perhaps by increasing the risk of early mortality, and again, these genes would become rarer over successive generations,” he explains. Red hair can range from strawberry blonde to the deepest auburn. Even when we can’t always see red hair, many people still carry the genes. “But although it is recessive, red hair is unlikely to suffer from this effect. “A common misconception is that when a trait is rare, it could be lost through a dilution effect – the few individuals that carry the gene don’t reproduce, and so it is lost to future generations. “There are a number of ways rare traits can be lost from a population,” says Professor Elgar. Blue-eyed people are also more common in the Baltic regions of Northern Europe. In some regions of the world, red heads are more common, making up 10-30 per cent of the population in Scotland and Ireland for example. In contrast, brown hair and brown eyes are dominant traits, which is why they are much more prevalent.” “Red hair and blue eyes are both recessive traits which means a person needs to inherit both of the genes for red hair and blue eyes, from both parents. “The mutations occurred tens of thousands of years ago, and have now become established as different versions or variants of the genes that help determine our skin and eye colour.
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