Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 60. (Budapest 1968)
Dezső, Gy.: The frequency of eye and hair colours in some Hungarian populations
mented eye is also hardly more than 1 per cent. This phenomenon cannot be explained by the contention that light colours show small frequencies in Hungary, since the combination light eye and light hair does occur, and in accordance with its proportion also the combination light eye and dark hair. The explanation should probably be sought for in the general regulation of the pigment material (melanin). According to the estimation of BONNER (1961) and others, the white — yellow — black colour of the skin depends on at least 80 genes. Given so many genes, it is to be expected that some of them might be linked (BONNER), and also sex-linked. This assumption would corroborate the observation that women, diploid with respect to the X-chromosome, disjjose of more pigment than the men haploid (XY) for X. Discussion By the examination of 761 men and 801 women at puberty, attempts have been made to estimate the populations of five territorial units and the Capital, as well as the inferable nationwide means. The data essentially agree with those found by other authors, cited in the introduction, concerning adult populations. One might infer therefore that the population of Hungary is characterized by medium pigmented eyes and brown hair ; the occurrence of light colours is small. On the basis of the high-rate correspondance with the data of the adults, the examination of juveniles may be suitable for an estimation of these characteristics also in adult groups. Sexual differences were found only with respect to hair-colour — that of the women has a darker hue. The combination dark eye and light hair does not occur in our populations. References: 1. ACSÁDI GY., CSIZMADIA A., LIPTÁK P., NEMESKÉRI J., & TARNÓCZY, T.: Az ivádi embertani kutatások (MTA IV. Oszt. Közi. 2. 1954, p. 223-225). - 2. BARTUCZ L.: A magyar ember — Magyar föld — Magyar faj IV. (Budapest, 1938, pp. 319). — 8. BONNER, M. D.: Heredity. (Prentice-Hall, New Yersey 1961, pp. 195). — 4. FARKAS Gy.. Csongrád megyei gyermekek szem és hajszíne (Anthropologiai Közlemények. 8, 1964, p. 17 — 35). — 5. FARKAS GY. & LIPTÁK P.: Orosháza története és néprajza II. (Orosháza, 1965, pp. 361 — 363). — 6. MALÁN M. : A hadikfalvi székelyek szem és hajszíne. (A Ferencz József Tud. Egy. Embertani Intézetének Közleménye, Budapest, 1942, p. 1 — 12). — 7. STEGGERDA, M.: Change in Hair Color with Age (Amer. J. Heredity, 32, 1941, p. 402 — 403). — 8. VÁRTÉRÉ sz M. : Sugárbiologia. (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1965, pp. 15).
