Are you a secret ginger?

12 February 2016

Drs Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry explain how red hair can skip generations

Why do non-redheaded parents sometimes give birth to russet and auburn-thatched children? Watch the animation above to find out.

Drs Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry have been on hand to solve everyday mysteries sent in by our readers and the listeners of BBC Radio 4. Their first case is a conundrum posed by Sheena Cruickshank in Manchester:

“My eldest son is ginger, but I am blonde and my husband brunette, so we are constantly asked where the red came from.”

Watch the animation above to see their answer, and listen to their podcast to discover the many other mysteries of redheads.

If you have any scientific cases you would like the team to investigate please email: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk

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Genetics

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