Rare hair specimen hints at Scots ancestors' low vitamin D

A recent study by the University of Aberdeen has discovered present-day Scots could be just as deficient in vitamin D as their ancestors.

The team, led by archaeologist Kate Britton, compared a strand of hair from a 400-year-old skeleton buried at the medieval St Nicholas Kirk in Aberdeen to the hair of people living in the city now.

It found people living in Aberdeen during the 16th and 17th Centuries may have suffered from similar seasonal lows as Scots today, despite changes to diet and lifestyle over time.

It is hoped the study could open up new ways of finding out about the health of our ancestors.