How is it that there are no redheads in Italy, when I am Italian?? I just find that fascinating..Can anyone tell me about this phenomenon? My family is from Cuneo Italy and we are Cuneo's. LOL it's my maiden name.
It's an interesting thing; humans have two types of melanin pigment -- eumelanin which ranges from light brown to black (depending on the saturation), and pheomelanin which ranges from pale yellow to deep red (also depending on the saturation). I have heard that humans actually have three separate genes for hair colour; I am only guessing that each pigment has one gene dictating its saturation, plus one more gene for an overall combined saturation. It's the combination of saturations of either/both of those pigments that gives us the full range of hair (and other) colours across our species. Curiously, people with very dark hair typuically have have high saturations of both pigments, which is why dark hair often tends to sun-bleach into auburn highlights.
Okay, one. Maybe two. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. I've seen a handful, but they are more noticeably a minority than anywhere else on this planet I have been.
So do your part, Gracecuneo, spread the red whydontcha!
