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Estimating the Heritability of Hair Curliness in Twins of European Ancestry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Sarah E. Medland ,
Gu Zhu  and
Nicholas G. Martin
Sarah E. Medland*
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia. [email protected]
Gu Zhu
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Nicholas G. Martin
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
*
*Address for correspondence: Sarah Medland, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, PO Royal Brisbane Hosptial, Herston Q 4029, Australia.

Abstract

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Recent studies in Asian populations have identified variants in the EDAR and FGFR2 genes that arose following the divergence of Asians and Europeans and are associated with thick straight hair. To date no genetic variants have been identified influencing hair texture in Europeans. In the current study we examined the heritability of hair curliness in three unselected samples of predominantly European ancestry (NS1 = 2717; NS2 = 3904; NS3 = 5079). When rated using a three point scale (Straight/Wavy/Curly) males were ~5% more likely to report straight hair than females and there were suggestions in the data that curliness increased slightly with age. Across samples significant additive and dominant genetic influences were detected resulting in a broad sense heritability of 85–95%. Given the magnitude and the specificity of the EDAR effect on hair morphology in Asian populations we are hopeful that future association studies will detect similar genetic influences in European populations.

Keywords

hair texturebiometricspopulation genetics
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 12 , Issue 5 , 01 October 2009 , pp. 514 - 518
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009