Redheads have been living on our planet for 10 million years.

Natural redheads are quite rare these days, with only about two percent of the world’s population sporting red hair. However, researchers say that this hair color has existed on our planet for a very long time.

A team of scientists from University College Cork in Ireland discovered fragments of pheomelanin—the pigment responsible for red hair—in fossilized remains of frogs. The samples they studied were around 10 million years old.

According to the researchers, the results of their work will help paleontologists reconstruct the original colors of species that have long been extinct.

What the Researchers Learned

The team conducted laboratory experiments on the feathers of black, red, and white birds to trace how the pheomelanin pigment breaks down during the fossilization process.

They then applied their findings to the fossilized remains of the extinct large frogs, Pelophylax pueyoi, confirming a high concentration of the pigment in the fossils, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Dr. Tiffany Slater noted that this discovery is incredibly exciting, as it allows paleontologists to identify various melanin pigments in many other fossils. This means researchers can create a more accurate picture of the coloration of ancient animals and answer important questions about the evolution of coloration.

Professor Maria McNamara, the lead author of the study, remarked, “Fossils change under heat and pressure, but that doesn’t mean we lose all the original biomolecular information.” She believes these experiments are key to understanding the chemistry of fossils, demonstrating that traces of biomolecules can survive despite undergoing thermal changes during fossilization.

Pheomelanin is one of two forms of melanin found in mammals, birds, and reptiles, with the other form being eumelanin.

The presence of people with red hair on the planet is the result of a genetic variant that causes the skin and hair cells to produce more pheomelanin. Meanwhile, individuals with higher levels of eumelanin typically have brown or black hair and skin that tans easily.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Interestingly, the largest population of red-haired individuals resides in the United States, with around 12 million people, which is about six percent of the total U.S. population. However, in terms of the percentage of redheads relative to the country’s population, Scotland leads with about 13 percent, while in Ireland, they make up 10 percent.