Neanderthals were pale redheads too
From Times Wire Reports
Some Neanderthals may have had fair skin and red hair, giving them an appearance resembling modern Europeans, researchers reported Friday in the journal Science.
The researchers found the MC1R gene and used DNA analysis to find a variation that produced the same pigmentation changes as in humans.
It would have been an advantage for Neanderthals, allowing them to soak up more vitamin D from the sun in cloudy Europe.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.