Redheads May Be On The Rise, Thanks To Ancient Genetics

According to a new report published in the NY Post highlighting research tied to Harvard University, redheads may be getting a little more common over time.

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That’s right. The ginger population may be quietly expanding while the rest of the world was busy making lazy jokes and pretending we were some kind of rare woodland species.

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Researchers reportedly examined nearly 16,000 ancient human remains and found evidence suggesting the genes linked to red hair have continued to spread over long stretches of history. This doesn’t mean tomorrow every third person you meet is going to look like they belong in an Irish folk band, but it does suggest red hair has had some staying power through evolution.

Scientists aren’t totally sure why. One theory is that certain traits associated with red hair may have been beneficial thousands of years ago, which helped those genes stick around and grow. Another possibility is that the genes simply traveled alongside other favorable traits and kept getting passed down.

Either way, the message is clear: the redheads survived. We persisted. We endured.

The same research also reportedly noted that humans appear to have evolved increased resistance to certain conditions over time, while other health issues became more common. But let’s not bury the lead here. This is about the rise of the redhead, and frankly it’s about time.

Now look, as a lifelong natural redhead since day one, I’m not exactly thrilled with this information. If being redheaded suddenly becomes normal, then all the abuse I took for years is like it never happened. If everybody gets to be deliciously red now, why did I have to suffer through decades of nonsense?

And here’s another thing. Just when I finally grew into my dad bod, added a little gray to the beard, and discovered that redheads like me are actually some ladies’ type... now everybody wants in?

Respectfully, no.

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