Parentage Testing Laboratory Eye Color Inheritance
Chart
The Parentage Testing Laboratory Eye Color Inheritance Chart
is based on a theory that dates back to the 1800's. In only very rare
cases can it be used to predict possibilities of paternity.
The calculator is used to determine either:
- The possible eye colors of the child when the eye colors of
the mother and the father are known, or
- The possible eye colors of the father when the eye colors of
the mother and the child are known.
Eye color is known to have a polygenic inheritance pattern, possibly
governed by 6 or more genes. There are also 6 different described
eye colors. Basically, dark alleles are dominate at each of the
6 genes, and the more dominate alleles that you have the darker
your eyes are. The different eye colors and number of dominate alleles
suggested in this theory are seen below.
Parentage Testing Laboratory Eye Color Inheritance Chart:
| Light blue |
0 dominate alleles |
| Blue |
1 dominate allele |
| Blue-green |
2 dominate alleles |
| Hazel |
3 dominate alleles |
| Light brown |
4 dominate alleles |
| Brown |
5 dominate alleles |
| Dark brown / black |
6 dominate alleles |
Basically, based on this theory:
- 2 'light blue' eyed parents cannot have a 'blue' eyed (or
darker eyed) child.
- 2 'blue' eyed parents can have a 'Blue-green' (or lighter)
eyed child, but not hazel or anything darker.
- 2 'blue-green' eyed parents can have a 'Light brown' (or
lighter) eyed child, but not brown or anything darker.
- 1 'Light brown' eyed parent and 1 'blue-green' eyed parent can
have a child with any of the possible eye colors.
- 2 'dark brown or black' eyed parents can have a child with any
of the possible eye colors (but it is unlikely they will have
a light eyed child, such as light blue or blue).
Lastly, before jumping to conclusions, eye color usually
starts out much lighter at birth, and becomes its true color in
1 or 2 years after birth. Variations can also occur randomly.
Interestingly, this theory was generated in the late 1800's, which
demonstrates, 1) how inheritance patterns were pretty well understood
(by some) back then, and, 2) that eye color is, still today (even
with the human genome sequenced), very difficult to predict due
to its polygenic inheritance pattern.
In conclusion, eye color is not a very reliable or accurate
method to use when attempting to determine paternity of a child.
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