Gingers have been around for 10 million years, new study reveals

Gingers have been around for 10 million years, new study reveals
The scientists behind the startling discovery were Irish

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/gingers-hair-study-history-frog-b2425189.html


Stephen Beech Friday 06 October 2023 10:39 BST

University College Cork (UCC) palaeontologists discovered molecular evidence of phaeomelanin, the pigment that produces ginger colouration, in the amphibians dating back 10 million years.


Gingers have been around for 10 million years a new study has revealed after Irish scientists found fragments of ginger pigment molecules in fossilised frogs.

University College Cork (UCC) palaeontologists discovered molecular evidence of phaeomelanin, the pigment that produces ginger colouration, in the amphibians dating back 10 million years.


They say their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, will enable scientists to better reconstruct the original colours of extinct organisms.


The research was led by Dr Tiffany Slater and Professor Maria McNamara of UCC’s School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences. They worked with an international team of scientists from Lund University, Sweden. Fujita Health University in Japan and Linyi University, China.


Dr Slater said: “This finding is so exciting because it puts palaeontologists in a better place to detect different melanin pigments in many more fossils.

“This will paint a more accurate picture of ancient animal colour and will answer important questions about the evolution of colours in animals...............