Hair colour of humans now have a new enemy – climate change.
Scientists working with human DNA have predicted that the red hair gene, synonymous to UK and Scotland, will soon disappear.
Dr Alistair Moffat of Scotland has said that a gene mutation that yields red hair and pale skin which is more sensitive to light leaves DNA in skill cells more prone to sun damage and cancer.
Only 1-2% of the world’s population have red hair, though in Scotland 13% of the population are ginger and 40% are thought to carry the gene.
Rising temperatures — a direct result of climate change will cause it to regress.
Dr Moffat said, “We think red hair in Scotland, Ireland and in the North of England is adaption to the climate. 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.”
Why does Britain and Ireland have so many carriers and red-heads? One hypothesis is linked to vitamin D. Red hair and lighter skin tone are related and in an archipelago where the sun shines less than in continental Europe, we can absorb more because of that.
