Redheads are a rare breed, with people who sport ginger locks making up less than 2% of the global population. With such low numbers, would it be possible for red hair to go "extinct," leaving people with natural hair hues ranging from black to blond, with nary a hint of red?
In a word, no. Experts told Live Science about how the genetics of red hair means the trait is sticking around.
"There is no evidence that redheads are going extinct," said Katerina Zorina-Lichtenwalter, a research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder's Institute for Behavioral Genetics who has studied red hair inheritance. She told Live Science that the genes responsible for red hair "are harmless, they do not interfere with reproduction and they are not linked to a disease that would prevent people from reaching reproductive age."
Nevertheless, the myth of an impending red hair extinction isn't a new one.
"The 'Is red hair becoming extinct?' question has been around for decades," Read Entire Article
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