I'm not adopted, so why don't I look like my parents?

Question:My parents are German and Danish are both very fair and have blonde hair and light blue eyes, but I don't really look like them at all for some reason. I have very dark curly hair and hazel eyes and kind of an olive complextion, somewhat Middle Eastern looking. People ask me a lot if I'm Jewish, or if I'm from Israel or Lebanon. I wonder why I don't look like my parents much at all. I know I'm not adopted or anything like that. So What could be the reason for me not taking after them?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My parents are German and Danish are both very fair and have blonde hair and light blue eyes, but I don't really look like them at all for some reason. I have very dark curly hair and hazel eyes and kind of an olive complextion, somewhat Middle Eastern looking. People ask me a lot if I'm Jewish, or if I'm from Israel or Lebanon. I wonder why I don't look like my parents much at all. I know I'm not adopted or anything like that. So What could be the reason for me not taking after them?

It's entirely possible that you've collected more eumelanin genes from both your parents than either one of them had, hence your darker hair color. Hair color and hair texture genes are more complicated than just dominant and recessive genes, however.

Hair color and texture are polygenic traits, governed by multiple genes. Moreover, they are known as incompletely dominant traits. In other words, a grandparent or great grandparent or even a relative even further back in the family tree could be influencing your looks.

For example, both my parents have straight hair, but I have wavy hair--a trait that I can trace directly back to my maternal grandmother. Similarly, my nephew has red hair--a trait he inherits from his paternal great grandmother (the same lady, btw).

you probably take after one of your ancestors..you should ask your grandmother if she has any pictures of her grandmothers etc then you might see a resemblence of yourself

recessive genes

it skips a generation

Recessive genes are to blame. Enjoy your looks and quit worrying!

recessive genes? or maybe mom had an affair?

genitics. they're crazy. perhaps your grandparents or some other distant relations looked like this. ask your parents.

You could have gotten other genes in the family that belonged to your ancestors. Maybe a dominant gene just appeared when they had you.

certain 'traits' skip a generation or 2. i have an aunt who does not look the least chinese. and that's because i have portuguese ancestors. it's kind of weird though because half my relatives look chinese/asian. and the other half looks more european than chinese because of the portuguese blood.

You should talk to your mom about that. Maybe your parents are lying. Maybe your mom had a sperm doner. If it's really bothering you tell them and you could get a DNA test.

It is not genetically possible for 2 blond hair parents to have a child that is not blond. Blond is recessive, meaning that both genes for hair color they got from their parents have to be blonde, meaning that it is the only hair color gene they have to pass on to you. Either your mother cheated, or they are lying to you about something. It is NOT possible otherwise for 2 naturally blond people to have a dark haired child. Dominant genes do not just show up if the parents only carry the recessive gene, which in this case, they do. Get a DNA test.

Regardless, they are your parents in all the ways that count.

you never know what you are going to get. allow me to give you an example. a few years ago i went to visit my parents and mom brought out a picture and ask me if i knew who it was. i said sure, it's me. much to my suprise she said "no, it's my father" . it was my mother's father when he was about my age but i had to say he was a good looking guy and of course mom agreed:)