How do you propose to save blondes!!?

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2002-11-27 12:49am

I'm pretty sure all of you have already heard that natural blondes will go extinct in about 200 years or so.

My question to you is,

how do we save the blondes!!?

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 12:51am

Ummm.......genetic mutation? *shrug* And predictions mean nothing. Blonde is a recessive gene, isn't it? That means that they can still be there...on the other hand, it IS a recessive gene, so it'll get knocked out more easily....hmm....

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2002-11-27 01:05am

Pfft in this day and age of fake blondes?

In the end I don't think it really matter...as I am trying to find a perfect red head with green eyes and no frekles

Post by **Vympel** » 2002-11-27 01:05am

I've heard that this blondes gone in 200 years stuff is bullshit *shrug*

Cthulhu-chan · Post by **Cthulhu-chan** » 2002-11-27 01:06am

Erm, did you miss when the quoted institute said that they never posted such a study? That the whole thing was a hoax/gross misinterpretation?

Besides, brunettes and redheads are sexier anyways.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-11-27 01:09am

That study was BS. The genes for blondes will remain in the population indefinately.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2002-11-27 01:29am

Ze Aryan race vill never disappear from ze Earth! Blondes are forever mein Herr!

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 01:38am

TrailerParkJawa wrote:That study was BS. The genes for blondes will remain in the population indefinately.

Blonde is a recessive gene. Technically, it could go out of existence.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2002-11-27 01:48am

Not researching the topic, as it is nearly one a.m. here, and assuming you're correct, a recessive trait won't go out of existence. Remember the Punnett Square? Two people with the recessive gene have a one in four chance of producing a child with the recessive traits shown.

And, of course, I'm not getting into the obvious social forces that would cause blonds to reproduce sufficiently.

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 01:51am

Sonnenburg wrote:Not researching the topic, as it is nearly one a.m. here, and assuming you're correct, a recessive trait won't go out of existence. Remember the Punnett Square? Two people with the recessive gene have a one in four chance of producing a child with the recessive traits shown.

And, of course, I'm not getting into the obvious social forces that would cause blonds to reproduce sufficiently.

True, but a recessive gene showing up also requires two parents that have the recessive gene. So, theoretically, it would be possible. Just highly unlikely. If a person with one recessive and one dominant reproduces on child with another person with two dominants, the child will more than likely have the dominant gene. If so, the recessive gene ends with that child. So, it IS possible for recessive genes to go out of existence.

Which makes me think.....what would it be like to play viola with six fingers....?

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-11-27 01:52am

Blonde is a recessive gene. Technically, it could go out of existence.

Recessive genes dont disappear easily or at all. Two people with recessive genes met up and BOOM we get a blond kid.

Anyway, real genetics are way more complicated than Punet's square its a good example of seeing why recessive genes remain in a population.

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 01:53am

TrailerParkJawa wrote:
Blonde is a recessive gene. Technically, it could go out of existence.
Recessive genes dont disappear easily or at all. Two people with recessive genes met up and BOOM we get a blond kid.

Anyway, real genetics are way more complicated than Punet's square its a good example of seeing why recessive genes remain in a population.

They won't disappear easily, no, but they can disappear.

C.S.Strowbridge · Post by **C.S.Strowbridge** » 2002-11-27 02:21am

I'm a natural blonde. I suggest I be locked up with several dozen blonde woman for a captive breading program.

Please.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-11-27 02:24am

C.S.Strowbridge wrote:I'm a natural blonde. I suggest I be locked up with several dozen blonde woman for a captive breading program.

Please.

I would volunteer for that, even though I'm not blonde.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2002-11-27 02:33am

People are engaging in more interracial marriages and are interacting with more people. I'd say that we'll be seeing less and less blondes as time goes on.

The study may have been bs, but the blonde gene is still recessive. You can get two blonde people to mate and you have a blonde kid. But you're still outnumbered by the sheer number of dominant-gened people.

And I heard from somewhere that red hair is actually a variant of blonde or something. This true?

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-11-27 03:28am

It doesn't matter, the blonde gene will NOT go out of existence, even if there are no blonde people around (I studied biology I know what I'm talking about)

Even if blondes are recessive, they will linger around thanks to statistical chance and chromosomal segregation. It is almost impossible to eliminate an allele from any population othe than a small one, because until a weapon targeting genotypes can be developed, mere phenotypic elimination will still leave the heterozygotes around.

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 03:29am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:It doesn't matter, the blonde gene will NOT go out of existence, even if there are no blonde people around (I studied biology I know what I'm talking about)

Even if blondes are recessive, they will linger around thanks to statistical chance and chromosomal segregation. It is almost impossible to eliminate an allele from any population othe than a small one, because until a weapon targeting genotypes can be developed, mere phenotypic elimination will still leave the heterozygotes around.

True, but at some point down the line, the trait *will* disappear.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2002-11-27 03:34am

verilon wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:It doesn't matter, the blonde gene will NOT go out of existence, even if there are no blonde people around (I studied biology I know what I'm talking about)

Even if blondes are recessive, they will linger around thanks to statistical chance and chromosomal segregation. It is almost impossible to eliminate an allele from any population othe than a small one, because until a weapon targeting genotypes can be developed, mere phenotypic elimination will still leave the heterozygotes around.
True, but at some point down the line, the trait *will* disappear.

Unless by chance, a heterozygote sperm cell happened to have (forgot the name of stage) meiosis and isolated the blonde gene, which meets up with an egg that has a blonde gene isolated as well. Then maybe we can get a blonde from two brown-haired heterozygotic parents. Maybe, if my biology is correct.

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-11-27 03:35am

verilon wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:It doesn't matter, the blonde gene will NOT go out of existence, even if there are no blonde people around (I studied biology I know what I'm talking about)

Even if blondes are recessive, they will linger around thanks to statistical chance and chromosomal segregation. It is almost impossible to eliminate an allele from any population othe than a small one, because until a weapon targeting genotypes can be developed, mere phenotypic elimination will still leave the heterozygotes around.
True, but at some point down the line, the trait *will* disappear.

No. only if you have a magic bullet that kills everyone bearing a blonde allele. Just because blondes marry nonblondes just means that heterozygotes will be produced. When heterozygotes have kids there is a one in four chance the child will be blonde.

The only time a trait can disappear from a population entirely is in a small population, e.g. 100 people. If a recessive allele is present in 1% of the population, there will only be one person with the allele. If he dies, the trait IS gone.

EDIT: This is the phenomenon knon as "genetic drift"

Considering that human populations number in the hundreds of millions, we'll need to have all 200'000 of them die before breeding (assuming 10'000'000 people and recessive allele frequency is 2%), which is virtually impossible.

Otherwise, people would never get the recessive allele diseases because the homozygous recessive phenotype is invariably fatal, though the heterozygous phenotype allows a carrier to breed and transmit the allele.

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 03:51am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:lots of biology stuff

That was exactly my point. Eventually, it may end up that the gene or allele could be in a select few individuals (although not bloody likely, it could happen), in which case the gene and/or allele could die off. So, it IS possible that blondes could at some point no longer exist. Just nowhere in the near future (the near future being within 1000 years or so).

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-11-27 03:55am

verilon wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:lots of biology stuff
That was exactly my point. Eventually, it may end up that the gene or allele could be in a select few individuals (although not bloody likely, it could happen), in which case the gene and/or allele could die off. So, it IS possible that blondes could at some point no longer exist. Just nowhere in the near future (the near future being within 1000 years or so).

I won't press the poibt further, but I will revise my statement a little. IT could die out. Though it's not likely.

Post by **haas mark** » 2002-11-27 03:57am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:
verilon wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:lots of biology stuff
That was exactly my point. Eventually, it may end up that the gene or allele could be in a select few individuals (although not bloody likely, it could happen), in which case the gene and/or allele could die off. So, it IS possible that blondes could at some point no longer exist. Just nowhere in the near future (the near future being within 1000 years or so).
I won't press the point further, but I will revise my statement a little. IT could die out. Though it's not likely.

Just as I said. Not likely, but possible.

Jawawithagun · Post by **Jawawithagun** » 2002-11-27 11:22am

Ghost Rider wrote:In the end I don't think it really matter...as I am trying to find a perfect red head with green eyes and no frekles

Oh Goddess, please let her have a twin sister!

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-11-27 11:37am

Jawawithagun wrote:
Ghost Rider wrote:In the end I don't think it really matter...as I am trying to find a perfect red head with green eyes and no frekles
Oh Goddess, please let her have a twin sister!

That's what cloning is for.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2002-11-27 12:29pm

Shhh no one si supposed to know my legion of amazonian mistresses