The Ravishing (and Often Disturbing) History of Red Hair

Our neanderthal kin had red hair and green eyes long before modern humans did, but the gene that gave them their fair colouring was a slightly different one from ours.

Red hair, like blonde hair, is thought to have developed (along with light skin) as a response to sunless climates. People with these traits were able to get enough vitamin D from the sun, which was difficult for darker-complexioned individuals in rarely sunny environs.

Source: Flickr User mueritz