According to a team of researchers headed by Danish geneticist Hans Eiberg, all blue-eyed people share a common ancestor who lived 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, perhaps around the Black Sea near the Ukraine or Turkey. They believe this has been proven by a mutation that “switches off“ the OCA2 gene that determines eye color. This “switch“ restricts melanin production, turning “off“ brown eyes to give us our baby blues.

It has been surmised that Northern European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes as a sexual advantage over their competition following the last Ice Age. According to a collaborative project by three Japanese universities, this genetic mutation took place approximately 11,000 years ago. While it may have begun as a rare mutation, its popularity grew to effectively attract males and propagate this genetic marker across the world.

It appears that redheaded women have a higher pain threshold than their redheaded male counterparts or other females. These preliminary findings have yet to be further investigated, however initial research into the connection between red hair and pain tolerance has shown that a mutant version of a gene called melanocortin-1 (Mc1r), which is linked to red hair and fair skin, apparently gives women a higher pain threshold but does not appear to have the same effect on men.

In most people, the Mc1r gene appears to produce a protein that reduces the ability of opioid drugs to block pain, however in redheaded women, who have a non-functional version of the gene, this is not the case, resulting in a higher-than-average pain tolerance.

Red hair, as well as “abnormalities“ such as freckles, moles, warts, and birthmarks, have been long associated with witchery. While the earliest recorded evidence of this dates back to the Egyptians - who burned red-headed maidens alive so as to destroy the shade altogether - the notion of redheads as witches resides largely in Germanic culture. During the Spanish Inquisition (1483-1784) flame-colored hair was evidence that its owner had stolen the fire of hell and had to be burned as a witch. Over the next three hundred years, thousands of women were searched for “marks of the devil.“ More than 45,000 people are believed to have been tortured and murdered, usually by burning at the stake or drowning.

While it is a common myth that hair loss is inherited from the mother’s side, it could be from either side of your family tree. This hereditary trait that affects both men and women is the result of the genetic combination of both parents’ chromosomal DNA. So you can give your Mom a break.

Melanin, or skin pigment, gives the skin its natural color. The darker your skin color, the more melanin it contains. It is your first defense against the sun, working as a natural sunscreen that absorbs and scatters UV rays to protect skin cells.

There is a common misconception that sunburn and melanoma are not a significant threat for individuals with darker skin. People with dark complexions--especially those with olive, brown, or black skin--can remain in the sun for longer periods before burning occurs, but they are still at risk from the sun’s damaging rays, and burning will occur with careless sun exposure. Regardless of your skin color, you must protect yourself from the significant effects of photo-aging (UV exposure) with adequate sun protection --not just in the summer, but every day of the year.

The nose is considered to be one of the most important facial features to exhibit racial character. It has been a misconception that Hispanic noses are variations of the Mestizo nose only. According to a recent study of plastic surgeons, Hispanic noses can be classified into three types due to the varied backgrounds and the enormous anatomical diversity of the ethnic group:

• The Mestizo nose is a mixture of the European and Indian populations
• The Castilian nose represents a Spanish European nose with characteristics most resembling the Caucasian nose
• The Mexican-American nose represents a combination of the Mestizo and the Castilian

According to the surgeons involved in the study, the variety of genetic mixtures found in the Hispanic nose makes nose reshaping for the ethnic group uniquely different and challenging.

The size and shape of ears has a bearing on their significance. Small ears are said to denote generosity, while well-curled ears promise a long life. Ears that lie flat to the skull show a high degree of breeding in their owner. Ears that protrude unduly are frowned upon and, for some reason, are associated with Pontius Pilate. None of this has been scientifically proven.

• If unwound, microscopic DNA strands in one single cell’s nucleus would stretch to more than 6 feet (2 m) in length. Put your entire cellular DNA together, and it would stretch to the sun and back over 600 times.
• An estimated 97% of your DNA is non-coding DNA, meaning that a mere 3% of your DNA is made up of genes, the coding parts of the double helix that have known functions.
• Humans are 99.9% identical – only 0.1% of our genetic composition differs.
• Scientists have determined that our genes are remarkably similar to those of other life forms. For example, we share 98% of our genes with chimpanzees, 90% with mice, 85% with zebra fish, 21% with worms, and 7% with a simple bacterium such as E. coli.
• The number of chromosomes found in a nucleus depends upon the species.
  
  

  Organism	# of chromosomes
  Human	46
  Gorilla	48
  Dog/chicken	78
  Dove/Bee	16
  Goldfish	96
  Butterflies	380 (!)
  Bananas	66

  
  
  
• You could fit one million threads of DNA across the period at the end of this sentence.
• It takes about eight hours for one of your cells to completely copy its DNA.