Comments on: Redheads are here to stay http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/ Explore science, nature and environment stories from Northern California and beyond with KQED’s multimedia series Thu, 24 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Barry http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-17695 Barry Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:42:13 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-17695 No, it pretty much is who gets a red gene from both mom and dad. To have a redhead, red hair has to come from both sides of the family. The three redheads married people who weren't carriers. This means that all of their children had one red and one not-red gene...they didn't have red hair but carried the gene. The firstborn either married a noncarrier and so couldn't have red haired kids or married a carrier and it just so happened that they didn't both pass a red hair gene to any of their children. Each child of carrier parents has a 1 in 4 chance for having a redhead. The other kids married carriers or redheads and so had kids. This is how it all usually works although there are exceptions (see http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=400 for example). However, none of these exceptions are gender or birth order based. No, it pretty much is who gets a red gene from both mom and dad. To have a redhead, red hair has to come from both sides of the family. The three redheads married people who weren't carriers. This means that all of their children had one red and one not-red gene…they didn't have red hair but carried the gene. The firstborn either married a noncarrier and so couldn't have red haired kids or married a carrier and it just so happened that they didn't both pass a red hair gene to any of their children. Each child of carrier parents has a 1 in 4 chance for having a redhead. The other kids married carriers or redheads and so had kids. This is how it all usually works although there are exceptions (see http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=400 for example). However, none of these exceptions are gender or birth order based.

]]> By: ginger http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-17692 ginger Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:45:47 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-17692 Are there other factors that play into who gets red hair such as gender or which birth order? My great grandma had red hair. 3 of her 3 children had red but none of the following generation (thats 5 people) had any. The 1st born of the generation of 5 gave birth to 2 nonredheads but everyone else had 2 redheads (with exception of 2 boys, belonging to separate parents). I'm thinking the youngest is most likey to carry the recessive trait as well as females. Agree? disagree? I want to know! lol Are there other factors that play into who gets red hair such as gender or which birth order? My great grandma had red hair. 3 of her 3 children had red but none of the following generation (thats 5 people) had any. The 1st born of the generation of 5 gave birth to 2 nonredheads but everyone else had 2 redheads (with exception of 2 boys, belonging to separate parents). I'm thinking the youngest is most likey to carry the recessive trait as well as females. Agree? disagree? I want to know! lol

]]> By: Barry Starr http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11190 Barry Starr Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:00:19 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11190 You are right that red hair is recessive which means that most likely red hair is on both sides of your family. There are rare exceptions to this (see http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=400) but almost always you have to get red hair from both sides to end up with red hair yourself. Since red hair is recessive, it can hide out in a family tree for hundreds of years before being seen. It can pass silently from generation to generation until it meets up with another red version of the MC1R gene and then BAM, red hair. You are right that red hair is recessive which means that most likely red hair is on both sides of your family. There are rare exceptions to this (see http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=400) but almost always you have to get red hair from both sides to end up with red hair yourself. Since red hair is recessive, it can hide out in a family tree for hundreds of years before being seen. It can pass silently from generation to generation until it meets up with another red version of the MC1R gene and then BAM, red hair.

]]> By: Barry Starr http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11189 Barry Starr Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:58:10 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11189 Most men with red beards and/or mustaches are red hair carriers. Everyone makes lots of red pigment but most people have two working MC1R genes that turn it into a different colored pigment. Most redheads have both of their MC1R genes not hitting on all cylinders and so the red pigment builds up. The end result is red hair. Carriers have one copy that can do its job and one that can't. Most of these people do not have red hair but they can have fair skin, freckles, and a red beard or mustache. What we don't know is why some carriers have these traits and other don't. For some reason, the working MC1R gene can't keep up with all the red pigment getting made when it is located in facial hair. Most men with red beards and/or mustaches are red hair carriers. Everyone makes lots of red pigment but most people have two working MC1R genes that turn it into a different colored pigment. Most redheads have both of their MC1R genes not hitting on all cylinders and so the red pigment builds up. The end result is red hair. Carriers have one copy that can do its job and one that can't. Most of these people do not have red hair but they can have fair skin, freckles, and a red beard or mustache. What we don't know is why some carriers have these traits and other don't. For some reason, the working MC1R gene can't keep up with all the red pigment getting made when it is located in facial hair.

]]> By: Susie http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11192 Susie Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:37:47 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11192 Thanks for the interesting article! I'm redheaded, and my dad had dark brown hair on his head and a red mustache (when he chose to grow it out). Other than that, redheadness skipped 2 generations on my mom's side and 3 on my dad's. Is there research out there about what makes people have different colored hair on different parts of their bodies? Thanks for the interesting article! I'm redheaded, and my dad had dark brown hair on his head and a red mustache (when he chose to grow it out). Other than that, redheadness skipped 2 generations on my mom's side and 3 on my dad's. Is there research out there about what makes people have different colored hair on different parts of their bodies?

]]> By: Kaitlyn http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11191 Kaitlyn Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:55:38 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11191 This is a great article, I'm glad i came across it. I am a redhead myself and I'm 15. And all i know is that my older brother has red hair and we got it from my dad who had red hair as well, he's older now so its gone haha. And my aunt is a red head too. So theres a total of 4 of us out of my whole family. There are no redheads on my moms side, and i just think its so interesting to wonder where did my dad and his sister get it from, since i didnt know my grandfather to well and my grandmother doesnt have redhair at all. But i knew for a fact red hair is a recessive gene. P.s. i am so excited to see your a Geneticist because that is what i want to go to school for! This is a great article, I'm glad i came across it. I am a redhead myself and I'm 15. And all i know is that my older brother has red hair and we got it from my dad who had red hair as well, he's older now so its gone haha. And my aunt is a red head too. So theres a total of 4 of us out of my whole family. There are no redheads on my moms side, and i just think its so interesting to wonder where did my dad and his sister get it from, since i didnt know my grandfather to well and my grandmother doesnt have redhair at all. But i knew for a fact red hair is a recessive gene.

P.s. i am so excited to see your a Geneticist because that is what i want to go to school for!

]]> By: Donna http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11188 Donna Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:11:20 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11188 I find the story of red heads very interesting. Our youngest daughther, daughter is a red head. She has brown and the father is a dark blonde. However my granddaughter is a brilliant red. A color you could not get from a bottle. She is a intellegent 4 year old and she matches her red hair with much brilliant intellengence. I hope to see more red headed people as it is a beautiful natural color. I find the story of red heads very interesting. Our youngest daughther, daughter is a red head. She has brown and the father is a dark blonde. However my granddaughter is a brilliant red. A color you could not get from a bottle. She is a intellegent 4 year old and she matches her red hair with much brilliant intellengence. I hope to see more red headed people as it is a beautiful natural color.

]]> By: Barry Starr http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11187 Barry Starr Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:52:25 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11187 I don't know how common it is (although there was one on Charlie Brown). Curly hair is a little more complicated than red hair...it is something called codominant. Curly+Curly=curly, Straight+Straight=straight and Curly+Straight=wavy (click <a>here</a> and <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102074149" rel="nofollow">here</a> for more details). Isn't the extinction thing weird? Totally not based on real science but it sticks because it sounds so dramatic! I don't know how common it is (although there was one on Charlie Brown). Curly hair is a little more complicated than red hair…it is something called codominant. Curly+Curly=curly, Straight+Straight=straight and Curly+Straight=wavy (click here and here for more details).

Isn't the extinction thing weird? Totally not based on real science but it sticks because it sounds so dramatic!

]]> By: Amy http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11186 Amy Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:03:29 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11186 Dr. Starr, Any idea about how rare it is to have red curly hair? Are the red and curly separate recessive genes? I really enjoyed your article. Since my redheaded daughter was born 15 months ago, I've heard the story of redhead extinction at least once a month. It puts a certain amount of pressure on the MC1R carriers to keep reproducing! Glad that it's finally been debunked. Thanks, Amy Ettinger Dr. Starr,
Any idea about how rare it is to have red curly hair? Are the red and curly separate recessive genes?

I really enjoyed your article. Since my redheaded daughter was born 15 months ago, I've heard the story of redhead extinction at least once a month. It puts a certain amount of pressure on the MC1R carriers to keep reproducing!
Glad that it's finally been debunked.
Thanks,
Amy Ettinger

]]> By: Barry Starr http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11183 Barry Starr Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:05:40 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/03/31/redheads-are-here-to-stay/#comment-11183 Wendy: In your case the chances of having 2/2 kids with red hair is 1 in 4. That is the same chance as having 2/2 kids be boys so these odds are pretty good. Maureen: Hair color other than red is surprisingly confusing and not very well understood (click <a href="http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=39" rel="nofollow">here</a> for a valiant if too simple attempt to explain it). Red hair, though, is pretty straightforward and it is indeed recessive. As I talk about <a href="http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=189" rel="nofollow">here</a>, if both parents have red hair then all their kids will have red hair because red hair is recessive (did I say red hair enough in that sentence?). My mother in law has red hair and none of her 9 kids do but her grandson (my son) does. Another classic sign of a recessive gene. Same thing on the other side of my family. My grandpa had red hair and my dad and I don't but my son does. I've also looked at my family's MC1R gene and red hair follows a recessive pattern. My wife and I are carriers, my red haired son has two copies, my older son one and my daughter none. Wendy: In your case the chances of having 2/2 kids with red hair is 1 in 4. That is the same chance as having 2/2 kids be boys so these odds are pretty good.

Maureen: Hair color other than red is surprisingly confusing and not very well understood (click here for a valiant if too simple attempt to explain it). Red hair, though, is pretty straightforward and it is indeed recessive. As I talk about here, if both parents have red hair then all their kids will have red hair because red hair is recessive (did I say red hair enough in that sentence?). My mother in law has red hair and none of her 9 kids do but her grandson (my son) does. Another classic sign of a recessive gene. Same thing on the other side of my family. My grandpa had red hair and my dad and I don't but my son does.

I've also looked at my family's MC1R gene and red hair follows a recessive pattern. My wife and I are carriers, my red haired son has two copies, my older son one and my daughter none.

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