A group that celebrates all things ginger is urging Manchester red heads and fans of flaming locks not to panic that gingers may face extinction due to climate change.
Redhead Day UK co-founder Jessica Shailes has scoffed the idea by Scottish scientist Dr Alistair Moffat that red heads are a dying breed.
He argued that a lack of cloud cover could see the gene mutation which produces red hair and pale skin could cause it to regress completely.
But Jessica questions the latest suggestions arguing that it’s going to take more than that to see an end to gingers.
She told MM: “There have always been a lot of rumours surrounding the decline of redheads but the gene is recessive and we’re a pretty tenacious bunch so I don’t think we’re going anywhere fast!”
A miniscule 1-2% of the world’s population are blessed with fiery locks but more than 13% of all Scots are ginger and 40% of the Scottish population carry the gene.
Alistair Moffat, managing director of Galashiels-based ScotlandsDNA, said: “I think the reason for light skin and red hair is that we do not get enough sun and we have to get all the Vitamin D we can.
“If the climate is changing and it is to become more cloudy or less cloudy then this will affect the gene.
“If it was to get less cloudy and there was more sun, then yes, there would be fewer people carrying the gene.”
Jessica believes that global mixing is a bigger threat to the continuation of the ginger lineage.
She explained: “We’ve got a more diverse society and as there may be more of a mixture as people start families with different backgrounds so that could reduce the chances of having a red head child.
“That said I’ve seen gingers of all shades which just shows how resilient the gene is.”
“Red hair will definitely be part of the cosmopolitan beautiful nation of the future.”
Image courtesy of TBS via YouTube, with thanks
