Red hair gene favoured by natural selection over last 10,000 years, study finds

Scientists suggest red hair and fair skin were favoured for vitamin D efficiency in study focused on whether human evolution plateaued after advent of agriculture People with red hair who have put up with teasing or “fiery” stereotypes may be pleased to learn that they appear to be winners from an evolutionary perspective. A large genetics study has revealed that, in Europe, the gene for red hair has been actively selected for more than 10,000 years. The study did not aim to uncover the reas...

By Hannah Devlin Science correspondent