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Genetic scientists warn that redheads are a dying breed; soon they will become extinct in the next 100 years. National Geographic magazine reports that less than two per cent of the world’s population has the natural red hair.
There are many famous redheads in history, such as the bard William Shakespeare, Christopher Columbus and the Queen Elizabeth, and the more recent ones Peter Beattie, Nicole Kidman, Prince Harry and Michael Voss. But the future doesn’t look bright for the redheads according to the National Geographic article.
Red hair was created by a genetic mutation in northern Europe some thousands of years ago. The article reports that the gene had the beneficial effect of increasing the body’s ability to cope with sunlight; it helped make vitamin D from Sunlight. But now because of world wide interactions, the today’s carriers are more prone to skin cancer and are more sensitive to heat and cold related pain.
Because of smaller percentage of redheads present in the population, it has reduced the chances considerably for the redheads to get redhead partner, so their offspring may or may not be a redhead. The redhead can produce a baby from a single redhead parent; the chances become high when both the parents are redhead however.
Some experts warn redheads could be gone as early 2060, but others say the gene can be dormant in the reproductive system for generations before returning.
It is too early to predict redhead extinction, more research and analysis needs to be done if that is the case. For more about red hair check the Wikipedia article.
I think it is time to start “Save the Redheads” campaign. Nicole Kidman could be an ideal choice to head the campaign. Do you have redheads in your family side? Do you see similar patterns?
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So if I am not mistaken, red heads may come to be extinct by 2060, but could reappear at any given point, no?
"Red hair was created by a genetic mutation in northern Europe some thousands of years ago."
Researchers have presumably disregarded the possibility of this genetic mutation occurring again.
Interesting article tho... Thanks Cgull :) -
@ Nathalie C
So if I am not mistaken, red heads may come to be extinct by 2060, but could reappear at any given point, no?
Researchers have presumably disregarded the possibility of this genetic mutation occurring again.
Interesting article tho... Thanks Cgull :) Yes, I think it started some place to suit the environment they lived in at that time. The trait could have developed like Galapagos Islands :) -
Save the Redheads sign me up.
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@ Bob Ewing
Save the Redheads sign me up.
My hubby will sign up along with you, p-froggy! That's his fav hair color! (we're both blondes)
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@ Bob Ewing
Save the Redheads sign me up. Once the redheads get the blondes' unequivocal support then they will be saved :) -
My wife mentioned this a few weeks ago. I found it intriguing, but I have to wonder about the shortness of the time frame...less than 60 years? many of the red-heads born now won't even be dead at that point, so how could this be?
Interesting find, though.
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@ Eric S. Wyatt
My wife mentioned this a few weeks ago. I found it intriguing, but I have to wonder about the shortness of the time frame...less than 60 years? many of the red-heads born now won't even be dead at that point, so how could this be?
Interesting find, though. It should have been no more new redheads after 60 years, but I think it is just an estimate, I am sure the redheads will thrive even longer. -
Guess I am a dying breed!
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@ KJ (momentsintime)
Guess I am a dying breed! No the campaign has started, you will be saved. Cheers :) -
Wow. Fascinating.
I say save the redheads. :o)
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@ Chris V. (cgull)
No the campaign has started, you will be saved. Cheers :)
Yay! I don't have to worry anymore on this one at least! -
My hubby is a natural red head. I have red highlights in my hair but for the most part am a former blonde, current brunette.
None of our children have full red heads, but they have the red highlights so I know they carry the gene. I hope I see a red curly haired grandchild one day...
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Nah, not going to happen. I saw the article.
All due respect to National Geographic, but wrong. Humans are natural redheads. One of the reasons henna is so effective as a shampoo is that it's a protein human hair can't become immune to, like other shampoos. That's because henna red is a relative of the basal protein in human hair.
Even diet can affect hair color. Hair color is based on presence or absence of melanin and its precursors, like tyrosine. Those proteins are obtained from meat.
Then there's the other factor gene behavior; dominant and recessive genes. People with black hair have dominant genes and more melanin, blonds have recessive genes and less melanin. Because Europeans tend to have much less melanin, redheads and blonds are more common in European populations. Redheads are somewhere in between black brown and blond. (You'll also notice that with a lot of sun exposure some brunettes tend to get reddish hair.)
Those genetic traits tend to skew statistics pretty severely. The figures for Europe, for example, would be very different from the global figures. The percentage of redheads compared to a larger global population would, obviously, be lower, but not "extinct".
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The only red head we'll never see the likes again, is Lucielle Ball. She was a great comedian and a bad role model for girls.
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@ Paul Wallis (Wanderlaugh)
Nah, not going to happen. I saw the article.
All due respect to National Geographic, but wrong. Humans are natural redheads. One of the reasons henna is so effective as a shampoo is that it's a protein human hair can't become immune to, like other shampoos. That's because henna red is a relative of the basal protein in human hair.
Even diet can affect hair color. Hair color is based on presence or absence of melanin and its precursors, like tyrosine. Those proteins are obtained from meat.
Then there's the other factor gene behavior; dominant and recessive genes. People with black hair have dominant genes and more melanin, blonds have recessive genes and less melanin. Because Europeans tend to have much less melanin, redheads and blonds are more common in European populations. Redheads are somewhere in between black brown and blond. (You'll also notice that with a lot of sun exposure some brunettes tend to get reddish hair.)
Those genetic traits tend to skew statistics pretty severely. The figures for Europe, for example, would be very different from the global figures. The percentage of redheads compared to a larger global population would, obviously, be lower, but not "extinct".
I agree, I don't see any basis in science for this figure.So they are saying, NONE of the current generation of red heads will hook up with another redhead? Punnett square says, probablility of two red head shaving red headed child, 100%. (Average life span of human approx 78 years, so any redheads born today are in this generation). Furthermore, lastsudy I saw said 6% of Americans hadred hair. That means only that gene, discounting the numberthat carry it recessively, like my three children. Using that as a fair guesstimation with no study,I could guess approx 15% of the population should carry the gene recessively. Add those numbers together for about 21%, or 1 out of every 5 Americans should carry the gene. Granted this is just theory, but a fair one. My time spent on Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota revealed that the gene even occasionally surfaces there.
I have red hair, as Am said, but I have some black mixed in, I think I may have a mutation since I'm not supposed to be able to carry that gene with red hair, as it would be dominant and suppress my red hair. My father had black hair, with a red beard. So anyway, this brings up another point, they are disregarding the possibility of another mutation allowing red to survive. with the benefits, but decresed burdens. I don't burn as easily as most red heads, and I love the cold, no pain here.
My guess would be some red head pissed off her/his scientist significant other so they made up a story, either that or National Geographic is just getting desperate for a story.
But if they want to declare redheads an endngered species, I guess I may have to join a breeding program... -
I'm a brunette, with red highlights. My sister and I favor red hair coloring, and I wish that we'd both been born as redheads! (Our great-grandpa was a redhead!)
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I just thought that I'd add my take on this.......
I am a blonde and my husband has brown/black hair. We have a son who has auburn hair and a daughter who is a beautiful redhead. Also in my husbands side of the family, we have had 16 redheads born so far in this same generation and none of the parents of these children have red hair! It seems our family runs against what this article is stating. We have found out that my husbands great grandmother and my great-great grandmother were redheads so the gene is there it just took a couple gnerations to show again. So with this in mind, I think the scientists need to go back to their drawing board!
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@ Tmomma
I just thought that I'd add my take on this.......
I am a blonde and my husband has brown/black hair. We have a son who has auburn hair and a daughter who is a beautiful redhead. Also in my husbands side of the family, we have had 16 redheads born so far in this same generation and none of the parents of these children have red hair! It seems our family runs against what this articl is stating. We have found out that my husbands great grandmother and my great-great grandmother were redheads so the gene is there it just took a couple gnerations to show again. So with this in mind, I think the scientists need to go back to their drawing board! Thanks Tmomma, it is interesting how they resurface later, then in this case there won't be any extinction for a long time. -
LOL - this is old but one votes, we all vote, it will be anarchy
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@ Nikki W (karateblossom)
LOL - this is old but one votes, we all vote, it will be anarchy Keep the spirit alive :) Add a Comment
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National Geographic says Redheads set for extinction
