Redheads: Living on the endangered species list
Growing up having red hair can be a curse or a blessing. For a little boy it probably means you’ll grow up knowing how to fight or how to run fast, or both (I won’t go into my own experiences.) A little girl with red hair seems to have a easier time of it, and may even like being “special.”
However, according to scientist it’s a moot point in 100 years.
news.com.au via Neatorama:
Redheads are becoming rarer and could be extinct in 100 years, according to genetic scientists.
The current National Geographic magazine reports that less than two per cent of the world’s population has natural red hair, created by a mutation in northern Europe thousands of years ago.
Global intermingling, which broadens the availability of possible partners, has reduced the chances of redheads meeting and producing little redheads of their own.
The article goes on to say that the highest concentration of this red gene is in Scotland where 40 percent carry it and 13 percent actually have red hair.
I’ve grown to value my own red or “ginger” hair and I would hate to see it die out. My paternal grandfather had red hair. He had nine children, none with red hair, and I was the 16th grandchild and the first to again exhibit this red gene. I have two children, neither of them have red hair, and no grandchildren thus far.
This gene can be dormant for generations before making another random appearance so I’m still hoping to see it again somewhere down the line.
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We last of the redheads should stick together so maybe I need to start a special blog roll for redheaded bloggers?
…and an official banner/button for display on our blogs? 
If you’re a “genuine” redheaded blogger leave me a comment and I’ll add you to my blog roll.
Technorati Tags: red hair, redheaded bloggers, redheads
paul
Sorry, Earl. I can’t join! No redheads in my family!
Earl Moore
@Paul
…LOL!
Louis Gray
So Earl, as my wife has red hair, does that make her more valuable than I realized? I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t let her know about your post, or I’ll have to start acting better or getting her more things that are more expensive?
Earl Moore
Louis,
I’m sure she’s more valuable then you realize…just ask her! ~wink~
Button Ginger
Hello. I’m the only redhead in my family (and the only left hander as well).
I’m Irish/English, London born and bred but living in the West Midlands.
I occasionally search for ginger/redhead references and usually get Oriental cookery tips or porn.
This makes a change.
Kendra
I was born with red hair & it has turned dark/auborn over the years. I have a true
curly redhaired son(7 yr old),my brother had red hair that is darker now & it comes from my maternal grandmother-she & 1 of her 3 brothers have red hair(gray now !). I have seen atleast 6 other children at my son’s school with red hair.
Hopefully it will continue to turn up over time.
My oldest son & other family members don’t have red hair. We are Welsh/French/English & Scottish
descent. Hope this helps-we are still rare.
Kristen
I have red hair and green eyes and freckles, my father and 1 of my 6 siblings (a boy) has red hair. We are Scots/Irish. None of my other relatives except for 1 cousin (my father is the youngest of 14) has red hair, but there are a lot of red highlights in many of the brunettes.
I really hope that redheads do not go extinct because even though I had to endure the torment of children saying, “I’d rather be dead than red on the head,” I’m very happy that I am “unique.”
Earl Moore
@Kristen
I agree, it is a good thing to be unique and to have red hair.
List of
Holy Cow!
We can’t let that happen.
Maybe the redheads just need to breed together more.
How about a night club for redheads only, and free alcohol.
man… now I want to be a redhead.
bcc
I’m brown-haired and brown-eyed and of mostly Scots-Irish descent, my husband is light-brown and blue-eyed of English and Italian descent. Our 3rd child is a red-head, revealing some long-dormant red genes on both sides. Don’t write the red-heads off yet!
Dianna Huff
My father had red hair. I got brown hair. My son got the red hair — and it’s curly to boot (and beautiful). Of course, it’s wasted on him.
Earl Moore
@Dianna Huff: Girls would love to have curly red hair but boys not so much. I got a lot of kidding in school growing up. Thanks for commenting.
Regards
Maggie D
My paternal grandfather and my husbands maternal great-grandfather were both redheads. Our 8 year old girl is the only redhead on either side. Of course it is beautiful with spiral curls. The boys love to touch her hair and she is growing to like it more every year. Her softball coaches call her “Red” and we love it. People are always telling me they wish they had a redhead!! Lucky us!
Earl
@Maggie D: Redheaded girls are something special. You’ll have to be watching “those boys” in few more years!
ASH
I have blue eyes and red hair, and I can’t roll my tongue!! I AM SO RECESSIVE!!!!
Redhead56
I am a 100% natural redhead
Earl Moore
@Redhead56: We’ll just take your word at that!
Brenna
100% genuine 16 year old redhead right here, folks.
Check out my blog
http://www.rangareports.blogspot.com
Read the very first one to understand the name, but then again, if you are all redheads, I’m sure you’ve come by “Ranga” before!
Haha cheers!
Earl Moore
Females with red hair are something special…good luck with your blog!
Lisa
Hi all I am a true redhead also but as the years go by it gets darker and darker and my sides are turning white, my maternal grandmother was redhead, then me and I have 1 daughter that is red head, now all 5 of the grandkids don’t have it so it has skipped that generation and may not come back. Yes we are special people we are kind, loving, will do just about anything for other people esp the ones we love but don’t make us mad…My temper has mellowed with age but when I was younger OMG!!! This is sad to know that we are slowly fading out. Slight pun!! lol And I despise all those people that try to pull off they are a redhead, we know better!!! If you aren’t a true redhead don’t even try!!! But I hope we can keep the gene alive somehow. I was called all kinds of things in school good and bad, I finally said you only wish!!
redjennie78
I am a natural redhead. Two of my aunts have red hair and one uncle. My grandfather had red hair. I’m not sure if they’ll be any in my descendants, but I sure hope so. It makes me so sad to think that we will be “extinct”!
Kylie
Ahhh i hate being a red head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Earl Moore
Kylie, So did I when I was younger but now I’m okay with it. It’s sometimes hard growing up different then then everyone else, no matter what the reason.