Cavegirls were first blondes to have fun

According to the study, north European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males. —Roger Dobson and Abul Taher —Cavegirls were first blondes to have fun (Times Online)

The authors conclude by stating, “A study by the World Health Organisation found that natural blonds are likely to be extinct within 200 years because there are too few people carrying the blond gene. According to the WHO study, the last natural blond is likely to be born in Finland during 2202.”

Indeed, in 2002, plenty of media sites carried the story, “Blondes ‘to die out in 200 years’.” But a few days later, the World Health Organization published the following statement: “WHO wishes to clarify that it has never conducted research on this subject. Nor, to the best of its knowledge, has WHO issued a report predicting that ‘natural blondes are likely to be extinct by 2202’. WHO has no knowledge of how these news reports originated but would like to stress that we have no opinion on the future existence of blondes.”

I like the quote from the researcher who said that as a young blonde touring Majorca her bum was sore from all the pinching, but Dobson and Taher, your Journalism 101 instructors are probably pulling out fistfuls of their hair (whatever color it may be). Check your sources!