Dossier
Ali Akbari
Coverage of Ali Akbari in the Nexus archive.
- Red hair may be increasing as study points to surprising evolution trend
A Harvard Medical School study analyzing 16,000 ancient genomes found evidence that natural selection has favored the red hair gene over 10,000 years, potentially increasing its prevalence. Researchers identified directional selection linked to the shift to farming and northern climates, suggesting red hair may have provided survival advantages like improved vitamin D synthesis.