Question:

I have a question about genes

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i know that most black people have tight curly hair to adapt to the hot

weather when they were in africa...but why do other people like mexican,indians, and other people dont have tight curly hair when they adapted to hot climites too?im half black half white so this is not a racist question!!

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5 ANSWERS


  1. Regional. Equator. Who knows africans have a lot of gene benefits! Great skin-and age gracefully!  I'm caucasian and have curly hair! I thought it was also to do with, that black scalp doesn't produce enough oil to lubricate the scalp and the tight curls was a way to maintain some form of moisture. I don't know for sure, but I do know, that curly hair is typically drier than straight hair.


  2. As of yet, science hasn't identified any genes responsible for curly hair.  However, the reason for kinky or curly hair is probably natural selection.

    One theory hypothesizes that straight hair may act as a fiber optic tube that allows Ultra-Violet light to pass into the skin while curly hair blocks UV light from damaging the skin.  This sounds logical since prehistoric Africans living near the equator didn't need any extra UV rays bearing down upon their heads.  Similarly, whites with curly hair often have very pale, fair skin that would otherwise burn even in the northern climates where their ancestors had migrated, so curly-haired hair follicles may protect them as well.

    Of course, the ancestors of Native-Americans didn't originate in the Americas, but (for the most part) came across a land bridge that joined Asia and America.  Accordingly, American Indians have very distant Asian roots while Mexican mestizo ancestry comes from both Spaniards and Native Americans.  Apparently, racial traits like hair and skin texture developed very early on in human history as part of a natural selected reaction to the environment.

  3. Shirley is right.  This is a genetics question, not a genealogy question.  Genetics is a science.  Genealogy is historical in nature.  Asking genealogical question is like asking your history teacher about the cellular structure of a plant.  You just wouldn't do that.  You would ask a science teacher.

  4. You know, Dude, you asked a good question for genetics more so than for genealogy.  You might get better answers, if you go under the Biology Board.  If you are new to Yahoo Answers, go back to the Home Board and pick Science and Mathematics on the left and then the sub title Biology.

    Now, there might be some people who will see your question here that can give you a good answer.  Genealogy is the tracing of one ancestors with records and documents. It is not the same thing as Genetics.

    Good Luck!

  5. The Indian folks are originally from Asian heritage.

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