How Did Hair Color Play A Role In The Evolution Of Man?

Question

If none, why the different hair colors?

Answer 1

Hmmmmmm a lot of your answers seemed to not consider 'ol 'n grey!

Answer 2

It's a similar reason as to why there are different skin colors.  Dark colors radiate heat faster than light colors, which is why you find dark haired people near the equator and light haired people farther from it where the temperature is colder.

Answer 3

It was recently anounced, that the root of all human DNA, originated among the click-speaking people of Sub-Sahara Africa, now known as Bushmen...

From this root, a secondary branch emerged in what was Old Ethiopia. This group not only had more genetic variation, it is also the one, through migration, which populated the rest of the world

Answer 4

Why? Genetics, DNA, etc.

Answer 5

my great great 1000XXX great grandmother

channeled thru to me

said during her cavedays she died her hair w/tea leaves

Answer 6

my4 answered it well but I would add that the matted hair also helped remove harmful solar radiation as the melanin absorbed it.  Black hair is actually very dark red which is melanin which absorbs harmful UV radiation.  Other colors of hair are mostly lacking the melanin and are like leaves in autumn that lose chlorophyll and tend to be much more varied in color but are mostly combinations of reds and yellows.  Certain colors may have had sexual preference if it were particularly attractive.

Answer 7

I think hair color did play a role in evolution. Up until recently people with red hair traditionally were thought to have firey, passionate personalities. I think as our ancestors were looking for mates they looked for someone who stood out. Hair color was one way this happened. If you were a neolithic man for instance who had a lighter shade of hair you might want to marry a woman that had the same shade of hair so that you would feel comfortable. Thus genetics was influenced by personal marriage choices.

Answer 8

Much of it has to do with area climates that people have had to adapt to. For example, Africans have very kinky, corse, dark curly hair which releases heat faster than flat, straight hair. The colder the climate the lighter, straighter, thicker the hair. The straight hair keeps holds body heat in. Lighter hair is the product of color pigments not being produced as strongly by the lack of sunlight.

Or at least that is what our Anthropology professor tells us.