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SOLOMON ISLANDS BLOND HAIR
T he common occurrence of blond hair of the mapping of a simple genetic trait in and shows the importance of including
among the dark-skinned indigenous humans,” said David Reich, PhD, a professor understudied populations in gene map-
people of the Solomon Islands is due to a of genetics at Harvard University, who was ping studies, said co-senior author Carlos D.
homegrown genetic variant distinct from not involved in the study. The study identify- Bustamante, PhD, professor of genetics at
the gene that leads to blond hair in Europe- ing the gene responsible for blond hair in Stanford. The findings were published May
ans, according to a new study from the Stan- the Solomon Islands, a nation in the South 4, 2012 in Science.
ford University School of Medicine. “This is Pacific, represents a rare case of simple
one of the most beautiful examples to date genetics determining human appearance,