CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The tiny zebrafish has yielded a gene that determines human hair, skin and eye color, according to a report in the journal Science by researchers who started out studying cancer.

The scientists made the link when they looked up the gene responsible for the zebrafish's light pigmentation. The same gene, according to the scientists, is responsible for the light-colored pigmentation of many European persons.

The zebrafish is widely used for studying genetics because many of its genes are similar to humans'.

The change of a single amino acid in the gene plays a major role in the pigmentation process and explains why Europeans have lighter-colored skins than do Africans, said Keith Cheng, a cancer researcher from the of Pennsylvania State University, one of the authors of the report published in the Friday edition of Science.

Researchers believe the find could lead to ways to treat malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, as well as ways to modify skin color without the damage caused by tanning.

Working out the pigmentation details "is a great paradigm for seeking understanding of other complex diseases such as diabetes or heart disease," Cheng said.

"We cannot expect to use human genetics to understand complex diseases most effectively without first working out how fundamental characteristics, such as eye, hair, and skin color, are determined," said anthropologist Mark Shriver, one of the study co-authors.

:shock: Wonder how long before they start makeing glow humans now

Right! Or Blueberry!

what!? Hey no dye for me!!!!

first we are similar to pigs......now we are like fish(fine by me) when are they gonna learn that we are all carbon based and pretty much they same:p duh!

Hey now, don't expect too much from these highly evolved brains we call scientists. Theys is just too smarts for me. LOL. I'm not sure if you've heard but they have now got glow in the dark pigs in Europe. That's right, that midnight snack is now easier to find. I can't remember why exactly they did it but when I find the file I'll write more. Unless one of you guys remembers off hand.

mmmmmmmmmmmmm... baccon:redlaugh: hey think if we eatr it our somache will glow at midnight:D