Human Evolution Has Accelerated to Favour Traits Like Red Hair, Lower Body Fat: Study

Human evolution has accelerated since our ancient ancestors began farming to favour traits like red hair and lower body fat, according to a new study. Led by researchers from Harvard University, the study analyzed DNA samples from nearly 16,000 ancient humans who lived in Europe and parts of the Middle East over a period of more than 10,000 years. In that time and region, researchers found that natural selection sped up for hundreds of genes linked to traits like hair colour, skin tone, body shape, disease resistance and behaviour.