Redheads can be the subject of a lot of jokes, maybe because they stand out so much, being just about 2% of the world’s population. But not for long!
A Harvard study of nearly 16,000 ancient human remains found that red hair genes are actually SPREADING, meaning natural selection has been quietly rooting for redheads this whole time.
Since the study looked at OLD remains, it’s not a new shift, but looking at trends over a large number of years can show how humans are evolving, slowly, over time.
Nobody knows for sure why redheads may be becoming more common, but scientists think being ginger may have been genuinely advantageous around 4,000 years ago, and beneficial (or “desirable”) traits get a glow-up.
Or it could be more random, with those genes just “coming along for the ride” with another important trait.
Some other trends that were noticed:
Humans have evolved a greater immunity from: Male pattern baldness, arthritis, leprosy, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
The bad news? Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease have increased in prominence, probably because in the past, people with those died younger.
You probably won’t notice any major shifts during your lifetime, but if you are a ginger, the next time you hear a redhead joke, you can smile and say evolution’s got your back. Specifically the back of your hed.
(Speaking of human populations, there’s another new report making the rounds about an upcoming “people shortage” and how it could cause “global economic chaos.” As if we needed something else to worry about.)
(New York Post / People / Science 2.0 / Harvard)
