Ginger+Genetics

Ginger Gentetics in the newsScotland's notoriously dreadful weather and the fact that so many of its countrymen have ginger hair could be linked, a genetics student has claimed. People with red hair and fair complexions are more likely to survive in areas where the summers are short and cool and the winter nights are long, Emily Pritchard said. The 26-year-old came up with the theory, 'genetic mutation + bad weather = red heads', in an article about her sister’s red hair for a University of Edinburgh magazine. Ms Pritchard said her weather-based theory 'was speculation rather than scientific study, but it is plausible'. Human beings probably developed in Africa between one and two million years ago, but red hair probably only appeared once they had settled in the cooler climates of Europe, possibly as recently as 20,000 years ago.

Red hair is considered genetically less advantageous because 'gingers' commonly have fair skin, which makes them more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer. In scorching Africa, that would have seen the ginger strain die out in large populations. But when small tribes began to move north through Europe, where summer days are cooler and winters longer, the small gene pools ensured redheads became more common, and were able to survive in the friendlier environment.

One of the main genes for hair color has 40 variants, but just six cause red hair. For a baby's hair to be that color they must get one of those genes from each parent. ’The smaller your sample the more likely something rare is going to happen,' said human genetics student Ms Pritchard. ’The Celts, by chance, had a high frequency of the ginger mutation, which was able to persist over time.'