One question that’s been plaguing me for about a month is this: what’s the point in having red hair, evolution-wise? I know about how the closer you get to the equator the darker the people’s hair, and the further you get the lighter. I’m guessing it’s because of UV rays and the like. But why in the world do people get red hair?? Don’t get me wrong, I’m immensely jelous of red heads, but this has been bothering me one month too long… Oh, and a little side question: why do people get headaches?
Jabahaba
Not everything that evolves has a “point” or a purpose. If, by random chance (remember, evolution depends on random mutation), red hair appears in a species and the individuals with the trait are neither helped nor harmed by it then the trait may persist.
There’s probably a lot of little traits like this - the person having them has neither advantage or disadvantage from them. Red hair is just one of the more noticeable.
The point of red hair, IMHO, on females anyway, is to attract me to them!
Oh yeah, luv them redheads!
yowza yowza hubba oooOOOOOOEEEEE!
Yeah, thats a pretty ggod point. Red hair makes you stand out in a crowd- and getting noticed is the first step to getting some. That factor alone will spread the trait through a population. Other then that, redheads tend to be REAL vunerable to sunburn and other sun damage, This would not be andavatage near the equator but in the misty, dark reaches of the north, a vunerability to ultraviolet might help personal production of vitamin D, which could have been helpful in previous, less nourished ages. But other than that, its random. Think about the random traits humans get stuck with-What’s the point of being nearsighted, What’s the point of high cholesterol, of green eyes, of being able to roll your tongue or of being able to drink green jello through your nose?
Evolution, Scmevolution. God gave some people red hair as a warning notice to others. For instance, he gave some men red hair to alert women of his large man muscle and extreme sexual prowess & virility.
Guess what color my hair is.
Q: How do you start an argument with a redhead?
A: Talk to her.