Accoring to a recent news article our redheaded friends may soon become extinct. It is estimated that only 4% of the worlds population possess the recessive gene for red hair. Out of this group only 2% are redheads. Scientists have been divided in their opinion about whether the redheaded population is headed for extinction in an age of global mingling. Interestingly red hair is caused by a mutation in the melanocortine 1 receptor gene. Because it is a recessive trait red hair can easily skip a generation. It can then reappear after skipping one more more generations if both parents no matter their hair color carry the red hair gene. This is slightly reassuring because the gene will stay in the population. With increasingly multicultural populations in the West where red hair genes are mostly concentrated some scientists are afraid redheads as a phenotype could become extinct within a 100 years time span. In order to preserve the red hair heritage www.redhedd.com was designed to promote social networking amongst redheads. This site insists on dating and breeding amongst redheads exclusively! Although it is aggressive in its stance the sites motto is "Save the redheads." The sites founder Steve Warrington says "In order to save redheads we have to mingle redheads to concentrate the two genes that make red hair." Last August National Geographic ran the story where "ginger" was predicted to be extinct in about 100 years. Statistically speaking the best place to preserve red hair heritage is Scotland where apparently 40% of the population carries the gene and 13% actually have red hair.