Yes, a dark skin couple can have a light skin baby.
Understanding Skin Color Genetics
Skin color is determined by genetics, which are inherited from parents. According to the reference, "it is not uncommon for two dark-skinned persons to have a light-skinned baby." The actual skin color of a child depends on which genes are more dominant.
How It Works:
- Skin color is a physical characteristic influenced by multiple genes, not just one.
- Each parent contributes genes that determine the child's skin color.
- Some genes are dominant, and some are recessive.
- It's possible for parents to carry recessive genes for lighter skin, even if they themselves have dark skin.
- If a child inherits these recessive genes from both parents, they may have lighter skin than either parent.
Example:
Imagine both parents carry a gene for light skin (but also have dominant genes for dark skin, hence their complexion). There's a chance their child could inherit the light skin gene from both of them, resulting in a lighter complexion than either parent.
Dominant vs. Recessive Genes
The concept of dominant and recessive genes is key to understanding this phenomenon. A dominant gene will express its trait even if only one copy is present. A recessive gene, on the other hand, needs two copies to be present for its trait to be expressed.
