Why+so+many+Scots+have+ginger+hair+(blame+it+on+the+weather)

[]

Scotland's notoriously dreadful weather and the fact 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 conceded her weather-based theory 'was speculation rather than scientific study, but it is plausible'. The Scottish are infamous for their terrible weather. There might be a connection to their red colored hair and the weather around them. The reason this might be is that these “gingers” can survive in climates that have shorter summers with long cool winters. The theory is that genetic mutation + bad weather = red heads. “This is less of a scientific study and more of speculation” says Ms Pritchard.