Map showing frequency of red hair across Europe. Five color-coded ranges: red (over 10%) concentrated in Ireland and Scotland, orange (5-9%) in parts of UK and northern Europe, brown (2-4%) in Scandinavia and Germany, darker brown (1-2%) in central Europe, and darkest brown (under 1%) in southern Europe. Shows clear north-south gradient with highest concentrations in Celtic regions.

  • blarghly@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    3 months ago

    Okay, questions:

    • Why is Ireland split like that?
    • What’s up with the hot spot on Russia?
    • Whats going on with all the light blue splotches? That color isn’t on the legend, and it seems oddly specific for “no data”
    • bestboyfriendintheworld@sh.itjust.worksOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      Probably related to dark winters, cloudy weather, low melanin levels, and genetic isolation on islands.

      I’m just guessing the following:

      Trade and shipping from the British isles across the North Sea to the Baltics also moved people along those routes.

      The red center in Russia might be due to Viking settlement and establishment of Rus.

      Blond and blue eyes have a high distribution around the Baltic Sea mostly due to similar reasons.

      • CanadaPlus
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        That’s nowhere near Rus (if the Viking thing even happened). It’s a particular Finnic population.

        • HorseChandelier@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          3 months ago

          Because the Vikings settled and formed The Russians around Ukraine, from where they spread and eventually formed Russia.

            • Skua@kbin.earth
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              3 months ago

              I think that’s Udmurtia. Udmurts are an Ugric minority people within Russia, and they’ve got a really high incidence of red hair

            • CanadaPlus
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              3 months ago

              Somebody with red hair had a lot of children there right before the population suddenly grew. Or maybe was one of the survivors when it regrew after a national disaster. The founder effect, in other words.

              Other people are talking about selection. The numbers are in, that accounts for maybe 5% of genetic change over the last 10,000 years. The rest is just chaos.