The results showed the average IQ of blonde-haired women was 103.2, 102.7 for brown hair, 101.2 for red hair and 100.5 for black hair. However, the differences were so small as to be unlikely to represent a real difference.
Blondes had an average IQ of 103.2, compared to 102.7 for those with brown hair, 101.2 for those with red hair and 100.5 for those with black hair. But although the new study has found blondes' IQs were slightly higher than others, the results were so close researchers have called it a draw.
According to Health Magazine, redheads can produce their own vitamin D when exposed to low levels of light. 4. You may not need as much pain medication. The gene responsible for red hair (MC1R) also releases a hormone that is similar to endorphins which limit the feeling of pain.
Redheads were found to have several genetic superpowers compared to others, they are more tolerant of pain and naturally produce their own vitamin D.
Previous studies had shown that redheads inherit two versions of the MC1R gene that leads to red hair – one from their mum and one from their dad. Although almost everyone with red hair has two copies of the red-haired version of MC1R, not everyone carrying two red-haired versions is a redhead.
A McGill University study found that redheads could handle more electric shocks than those with different coloured hair. Other research discovered that gingers are better at handling stabbing or sharp pain.
Having red hair and blue eyes is the rarest hair/eye color combination possible. The odds of a person having both of those recessive traits is around 0.17%. Instead, most redheads have brown, hazel or green eyes, according to Medical Daily.
Here's why. Red hair is caused by a recessive gene and it's not possible for this gene to simply die out. Even if there were no more redheads, people would still carry the recessive gene and that gene can appear at any time. Redheads may become rarer in the future, but they aren't going anywhere.
Contrary to what many people assume, redheads did not originate in Scandinavia, Scotland or Ireland, but in central Asia. Their coloring is due to a mutation in the MC1R gene that fails to produce sun-protective, skin-darkening eumelanin and instead causes pale skin, freckles and red hair.
The redhead's lifespan is greatly affected by disease, including Duck Virus Enteritis, avian botulism and poisoning from lead pellets discarded from shotgun shells; the oldest known redhead lived 22 years after banding.
Fun facts about red hair strands
Redheads are less likely to go grey. The pigment in red hair typically fades over time from red to blonde and white, but not grey. Redheads produce more Vitamin D in a shorter amount of time than people with other hair colors.
Ireland: Quite possibly the redhead capital of the world
By most estimates, the European Country Ireland has a higher percentage of redheads than any other country in the world, with the latest estimates suggesting that approximately 10% of the country's population have red hair.
Someone with red hair has two copies of the MC1R gene, receiving one from each parent. The gene also carries a certain mutation in most people who have red hair. It's this variant that has been identified as playing a role in why redheads may respond to pain drugs differently than others.
The conclusions come from a survey of 10,878 white Americans asked about their natural hair colour (Hispanics and African Americans were excluded to eliminate bias). The results showed the average IQ of blonde-haired women was 103.2, 102.7 for brown hair, 101.2 for red hair and 100.5 for black hair.
They are typified as impulsive, quick-tempered, libidinous, and wild. The personalities of people with red hair are often believed to be imitative of their red hair, and they are seen as fiery, hot-tempered, hot-blooded, passionate, and angry.
Few But Not Extinct
Red hair is relatively rare in the general population - according to estimates, only two percent of the global population have red hair, not accounting for those whose hair color originated from a bottle, naturally. In some places, such as Scotland and Ireland, red hair is more common.
Did you know that red hair is a genetic mutation? Both parents must be carriers of the mutated MC1R gene to be able to produce redhead offspring.
Research has shown that people with red hair perceive pain differently than others. They may be more sensitive to certain types of pain and can require higher doses of some pain-killing medications. However, studies suggest that their general pain tolerance may be higher.
At the same time, redheads are better at manufacturing vitamin D and have a lower prostate cancer risk. The reason for those differences is rooted in DNA. People with red hair carry two copies of a variant melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene.
According to an article by evolutionary biology professor Mark Elgar, PhD, of the University of Melbourne, blue-eyed redheads are the absolute rarest, with 0.17% of the population having that combination of hair and eye color.
The MC1R gene might actually make redheads look young
According to research published in Current Biology, people with the MC1R gene, aka the gene that produces red hair and fair skin, tend to look several years younger than their non-ginger counterparts.
Eumelanin ranges from brown to black in colour. Pheomelanin ranges from red to pink. Redheads have much more pheomelanin than eumelanin in their bodies. That's why their skin tone is often so light, and why their hair is often reddish.
Irish immigrants arriving in Australia looking for labour gained a reputation as heavy drinkers and fighters, with 'blue' being local slang for a fight. The term evolved to come to mean a redheaded Irishman.
Natural redheads usually have fair skin with cool undertones, and it's a stunning combination. So if you have cool skin tones, opt for a natural auburn or mahogany shade.
All redheads should have green in their closet— most shades are instantly flattering. Olive green, kelly green, and emerald jeweled-tones all make red hair dazzle. Just be sure to stay away from yellowy-greens and always go for more of the saturated greens.