Widow's Peak and Genetics

Updated on January 18, 2011
D.P. asks from Greenville, NC
12 answers

Any geneticists out there? My baby daughter has a widow's peak. Neither myself, my son, or my husband have a widow's peak. In fact, I can't find one person in either of our families that do! I have read that a widow's peak is a dominant gene, and usually doesn't skip generations, rather is passed directly from a parent. But if both parents have straight hairlines, that it's impossible to have children that express the gene for widow's peak.
Anyone out there with kids with a widow's peak, and neither of you or your husband have a widow's peak? Don't get me wrong!- There is nothing wrong with widow's peaks! I just find genetics very interesting and this has peaked my curiosity. Amazing how traits can just pop up out of nowhere!

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A.G.

answers from Houston on

I cant offer genetic expertise but i can tell you about my daughter. She was born with a very high widows peak and it is only now recently filling in with very light blonde hair, shes 8! It looks as though my second daughter has the same thing.

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

I haven't done any research on how widow's peaks are passed, but genetics can reach back a long way! Even 4 generations! So -when you think about all of those grandparents and great -greats on both of your sides, there's probably a widow's peak somewhere -even if what you read said it didn't skip generations. There are also anomalies. A little girl who used to be in my first son's playgroup had dwarfism, and they were told it was genetic, but NO ONE on either side of the family knows of anyone with dwarfism or ever heard of anyone with dwarfism. You also have to take into account -that especially a long time ago -who we *think* is our great-grandfather -well -maybe that's not who is really our great-grandfather! One of my paternal great-grandmothers was at least 1/4 African American -if not half. I have her photograph, and you're just not convincing me or some other members of my family otherwise! She supposedly had a lot of "Cherokee" blood in her. Hmmmm -yeah -right. That's quite common, particularly for families who have lived in the South for hundreds of years. So -who knows! It could open up a whole interesting ancestral search for you!

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W.E.

answers from Sacramento on

it's the recessive genes that throw you for a loop!

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M.M.

answers from Milwaukee on

my daughter has one and neither I or my husband has one. Although my sister has one.

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

I have a widows peak and neither of my kids do.
Neither of my parents do, either.

Traits are very strange, where they crop up!

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D.B.

answers from Dallas on

I have a widow's peak or as I prefer to call it a heart shaped head. My parents, siblings, and children do not have a widow's peak. I am unique!

J.C.

answers from Columbus on

I don't know about the genetics of a widow's peak, but I do know that it is possible for dominant traits to show up in children when neither of their parents and none of their grandparents have them. My ex has brown eyes while his dad has blue, mom has green, and all grandparents had blue.

A.N.

answers from Bloomington on

I have one. None of my siblings or parents do. I guess I am the wierd one out of the bunch! LOL!

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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B.C.

answers from Dallas on

I believe that widow's peaks come from the maternal grandfather.

B.K.

answers from Chicago on

I did some googling and found this. It could be a bunch of hooey, but I thought it was an interesting, and short read.

http://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythwidowspeak.html

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R.F.

answers from Dallas on

My sister has one - my mom, dad nor myself have one. I am also left handed, but my sister, mom and dad weren't, either! But, my husband and I are left handed, but our daughter is right handed. Just flukes of genes!

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