Red Hair Is
a Sign of Oxidative Stress in Wild Boars, but Gray is A-OK
Red Hair Is
a Sign of Oxidative Stress in Wild Boars, but Gray is A-OK
A coat of a
certain color could be costly for wild boars, according to research published
in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.
The
research, led by Ismael Galván of Spain’s Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales,
found that boars with more reddish hair tend to have higher levels of oxidative
stress—damage that occurs as toxins from cell respiration build up. The reason
for this, the researchers suggest, is that the process of producing reddish
pigment eats up a valuable antioxidant that would otherwise be fighting the
free radicals that lead to oxidative stress.
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