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To wonder at genetics

82 replies

TwittleBee · 01/03/2026 20:03

Does anyone else wonder where you or another family member got their genetics?

I sometimes wonder about our son; where did he get his skin tone, hair and eye colour.

He is the only one of us to have straight hair with brown eyes and olive skin. He is almost all one colour, sort of this dark gold.

Meanwhile the rest of us are all curly haired, green/blue eyes with freckles with pale skin (including extended family on both sides)

The one thing my son and I do share is our eyes, we both have epicanthal folds and I always wonder where we got those as no one in my family has them.

OP posts:
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TwittleBee · 01/03/2026 22:12

RockyBirdy · 01/03/2026 20:29

Interestingly, my eldest has green eyes and both DH and I have blue. It puzzled me for years as it should be more or less impossible. Eventually I discovered that my eyes are not pure blue! I have flecks of a hazel colour which you can only see when my pupils are constricted!

That small difference is what has been passed on to her....

I've attached pics

Beautiful eyes! Yes, see it’s amazing how that tiny fleck has seemingly created child’s eye colour! I love to think how these subtle patterns can grow

OP posts:
Itsmyshadow · 01/03/2026 21:25

My eldest DD is very blonde with very fair skin and blue eyes. DH and I are have dark hair, skin that tans easily and brown eyes. No one in either family has blue eyes going back generations.

GCSE biology lessons on eye colour genes are clearly rubbish.

Liminal1975 · 01/03/2026 21:00

My youngest daughter does not look Caucasian, although my husband and I both are. Deeply tanned, dark brown eyes and Asian appearance.

I'm flummoxed. Even my mother asked me if I was sure DH was the father Grin

UnhappyHobbit · 01/03/2026 20:48

RockyBirdy · 01/03/2026 20:29

Interestingly, my eldest has green eyes and both DH and I have blue. It puzzled me for years as it should be more or less impossible. Eventually I discovered that my eyes are not pure blue! I have flecks of a hazel colour which you can only see when my pupils are constricted!

That small difference is what has been passed on to her....

I've attached pics

Such beautiful green eyes!!

Zanatdy · 01/03/2026 20:34

Yes I do. I have 2 mixed race DC, and one is the image of his father and would pass for being fully asian (indian) whereas DD has blue eyes and much paler skin. It’s so odd how it works, but so interesting.

Pomegranatecarnage · 01/03/2026 20:32

I find genetics fascinating. I find it intriguing especially when I meet people with one black parent, and one redhead-the redhead genes are so strong! Epicanthal eye folds are quite common in Europeans in certain areas. My son when he’s slightly tanned has the same colour hair and face -I think it’s lovely!

RockyBirdy · 01/03/2026 20:29

Interestingly, my eldest has green eyes and both DH and I have blue. It puzzled me for years as it should be more or less impossible. Eventually I discovered that my eyes are not pure blue! I have flecks of a hazel colour which you can only see when my pupils are constricted!

That small difference is what has been passed on to her....

I've attached pics

To wonder at genetics
To wonder at genetics
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