[Tired of Taxes]

I thought when a recessive gene mated with a dominant one, the dominant one prevailed. So you are saying that the recessive one can manifest itself. And still be carried on as a recessive gene and later manifest itself?

I'm not an expert in genetics, either, but I remember learning that the recessive gene is carried. My parents both have dark hair and dark eyes, yet I was a blue-eyed blond (which changed to darker hair later). Both parents have to share the recessive blue-eyed gene, for example, and the child must inherit both recessive genes to have blue eyes. (I guess it works the same way with hair color). That's why my children all have black eyes, even though mine are blue, because their father doesn't carry the recessive blue-eyed gene. But all my children WILL carry the recessive gene. So, if they marry someone with blue eyes or a blue-eyed gene, they could have blue-eyed children or at least children who pass the recessive gene along... (Hope that made sense).

That's why two-hundred years sounds like too short a time for natural blond hair to disappear from the face of the earth. But, hey, better claim minority status now before someone catches on to this study! ;-)

[twigs]

Thank you very much for the explanation. Yes, it certainly did make sense. A true story: A number of years in the neighborhood from which I recently moved, a woman had her final child. All the other children favored either she or her hsuband. This one was definitely an Indian. Oops. Native American. She had a very puzzled husband and she herself was extremely upset. Fotunately, her husband believed that she had been faithful and she started asking questions of the older members of her family. Yes, there were rumors of such a marriage way back in the family tree. I found the story fascinating. Can traits manifest themselves after six generations? Thanks again for your help.