Redheads, don't worry, you won't die out

Relax, redheads. You're not about to die outAdam Rutherford, "The Guardian"

Translation ИноСМИ.RuRedheads, no need to be nervous.

Your chances of dying out due to climate change are no greater than those of people with less cheerful hair color. However, this seemingly obvious fact is likely to go unnoticed against the background of a stream of articles that redheads are genetically doomed. Who thinks so? A company specializing in genetic testing.

Let's start with the scientific side of the question. Red hair color appears as a result of changes in one gene. Redheads are relatively rare and account for only 4-5%. The fact that there are many of them among the Scots (as well as among the Welsh, English and other peoples of northern Europe) is probably due to the isolation of the ancestral group at some point in our ancient history.

This gene is recessive. That is, in order for a child to be born red, the corresponding heredity must be on both sides. Many articles refer to a certain scientist, "who asked not to be named," who stated: "I think this regressive gene is slowly disappearing." I've been doing genetics for 20 years, but I haven't heard anything about "regressive" genes until now. Out of respect for the mysterious colleague, I am ready to assume that we are dealing with a journalistic error and our anonymous, but undoubtedly authoritative researcher was referring to recessive genes.

The question of whether the evolution of mankind continues is still relevant. Our genes change over time, and their frequency in the population also changes. However, these changes are slow, and we have mostly freed ourselves from the forces of natural selection.

In this case, it is difficult to imagine how this particular gene can disappear. They are trying to prove to us that it was necessary solely to adapt to the Scottish increased cloud cover. Alas, this has not been proven. Scientists are still arguing about what is the reason for the spread of genes that affect the color of skin, hair and eyes – with sunlight, marital preferences or with some random factors. Why it should be assumed that Scotland is becoming less cloudy due to climate change, I also do not understand. In order for red hair to disappear, it is necessary that they become extremely unprofitable from an adaptive point of view. This is clearly not the case – they look too good.

What is required for the "red gene" to disappear? Only one thing is for sex, for some reason, not only all redheads, but also all carriers of this gene to stop having sex. As a person who considers red hair extremely attractive, in this case I will be ready to help redheads get rid of this celibacy in every way. Unfortunately, I am deeply convinced that – unless, of course, there is some kind of genocide in the spirit of Eric Cartman - my services will not be required.

As they say in advertising, "it was the scientific part," and now let's look at the other side of the matter. As a matter of fact, this whole murky story with the disappearance of the "red gene" is just an advertisement. Science in it is needed only for visibility. ScotlandsDNA will be happy to find out if you have a "red gene" for just 25 pounds extra when ordering one of its genetic tests. By the way, the head of this particular company, Alistair Moffat, has generated the latest malicious wave of genetic astrology. Moffat heads the University of St. Andrews. Apparently, he does not have a specialized education in the field of genetics, but this does not prevent him from regularly speaking out on topics related to genes.

In 2011, Moffat made strange statements on Radio 4's Today program that the ancestors of some of the British were Tuaregs, Berbers and the Queen of Sheba herself. Geneticists David Balding and Mark Thomas from University College London complained to Jim Wilson from the University of Edinburgh, who is responsible for BBC science, and wrote Moffat a detailed letter analyzing his mistakes.

In response, Moffat wrote to the then rector of UCL, Malcolm Grant, demanding that he silence Balding and Thomas. Grant, in turn, urged him to respect academic freedom – that is, politely sent him away. He responded by threatening to go to court. This whole unfortunate story is described in detail on the UKL website (BritainsDNA saga).

Last year, after the press release of another Moffat company, BritainsDNA, a number of newspapers devoted a lot of pages to "revelations" that Prince William has Indian DNA. To refute this sample of pseudoscientific chatter, it took the efforts of Debbie Kennett, an honorary researcher at UCL and a specialist in genetic genealogy.

Now genetic testing is in great fashion. This is a very tempting topic, where everything seems simple and understandable. Unfortunately, humans are not organized very neatly, and our DNA is almost incomprehensible. Genetics is a complex discipline, and if someone wants to convince you otherwise, they're just trying to sell you something. My book about what we know and what is unknown about the human genome is due to be published within a year. This is an extremely fascinating topic: our genes are a surprisingly poetic thing. Unfortunately, now the release of this book will slow down by a day, because today, instead of writing about the wonders of DNA, I was dealing with this nonsense.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru11.07.2014