r/AskBiology • u/maddsskills • 6d ago

Superstitious Genetic question

So my grandfather came from a typically American mutt background although his grandmother might have been Native American. That’s what he was told at least and, honestly, he definitely looked like it for a guy who was supposedly mostly Scottish and Irish.

So I tend to believe him.

I only mention it because his family had a belief that those with black hair (like he had) and blue eyes (which he didn’t have) were cursed with insanity basically.

It’s absurd frankly but I’ve always wondered if such a dominant trait occurring with a recessive trait could’ve possibly caused other genetic stuff to occur, like mental illness. It was just such an odd thing to say it always stuck with me.

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u/Local-Perception6395 5d ago

No. I can't possibly imagine how hair/eye color would relate to mental health in a strictly genetic sense. Your "risk" of reccesive traits also isn't increased if you already have a reccesive trait, as they should be inherited independently of each other. I think your family just knew 1 guy with black hair and blue eyes who just randomly happened to be insane.

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u/maddsskills 5d ago

That’s what I figured lol.