Genetics of Blond Hair

Sean Myles and colleagues conducted a genome-wide association study on 43 blond and 42 dark-haired Solomon Islanders to investigate the genetic basis of blond hair in this population. They identified a significant locus on chromosome 9p23, which includes the gene TYRP1, previously linked to pigmentation. A missense variant in TYRP1 was found to account for 46.4% of the variance in hair color among 918 Solomon Islanders. This variant is common in Solomon Islanders but rare elsewhere. The study concluded that the prevalence of blond hair in Solomon Islanders is not due to recent European gene flow.