Somali Genes

[Vanessa]

You’re so ungrateful! Allah bless your cousins with good health, and you’re complaining about their weak Somali gene

 

[AbdiS]

I always noticed how weak Cushitic genes are. A drop of completely foreign blood (Outside HOA) could completely botch up the Somali phenotype.

Admixed Somalis are usually easily distinguishable from ordinary Mainstream ones.

 

[Macalin dheerow]

You haven't seen many mixed Somalis, it really depends on the phenotype of said individual. A Somali that lacks the gene SLC4A52 will produce a light skin looking Somali kid, a Somali who carries the gene SLC4A52 will produce a white kid. If you're AA or AG you carry the gene for light skin. Only about 50-60% Somali have this gene.

View attachment 175294

I took a 23andme test and it said I had the AA variant strangely enough.

So 50-60% of the somali population carry the gene for lighter skin. That leaves 40% of somalis who don’t carry the gene. Can we say that atleast 40% of somalis are definitely darkskin?? Also darkskinned people can carry the lighter skin gene, so the percentage of darker skinned people could be much higher.

 

[greyhound stone]

We have weak genes passed on from our ancestors. You come to accept it and live your life you can't change shit

 

[Marshall D Abdi]

CC means you won't get skin cancer and are more protected from the sun, Cadaan people, some Middle Eastern and North African have GG/CG. This gene is not advantageous in Africa and makes you more susceptible to Skin Cancer it's called SLC45A2.

How to check mine

 

[The alchemist]

So 50-60% of the somali population carry the gene for lighter skin. That leaves 40% of somalis who don’t carry the gene. Can we say that atleast 40% of somalis are definitely darkskin?? Also darkskinned people can carry the lighter skin gene, so the percentage of darker skinned people could be much higher.

It's not that straightforward. You can carry a gene without it expressing itself strongly. People have various hues, therefore assuming all the people carrying a specific gene leads to a specific phenotype is not always the case. Environment plays a role too.

 

[Apollo]

So 50-60% of the somali population carry the gene for lighter skin. That leaves 40% of somalis who don’t carry the gene. Can we say that atleast 40% of somalis are definitely darkskin?? Also darkskinned people can carry the lighter skin gene, so the percentage of darker skinned people could be much higher.

There are many many skin tone alleles. That one (SLC4A5 - rs1426654) is just the most potent lightening known to science, but there are many more, in particular darkening African ones found in this study:

Science | AAAS

science.sciencemag.org

You can have AA on the lightening SLC4A5 - rs1426654 allele, but if you then also carry darkening African ones you won't be light skinned. So it is not as simple as @Viscount's post made it out to be, only an approximation.

 

[Macalin dheerow]

It's not that straightforward. You can carry a gene without it expressing itself strongly. People have various hues, therefore assuming all the people carrying a specific gene leads to a specific phenotype is not always the case. Environment plays a role too.

You are right, multiple genes affects the outcome.

 

[Macalin dheerow]

There are many many skin tone alleles. That one (SLC4A5 - rs1426654) is just the most potent lightening known to science, but there are many more, in particular darkening African ones found in this study:

Science | AAAS

science.sciencemag.org

You can have AA on the lightening SLC4A5 - rs1426654 allele, but if you then also carry darkening African ones you won't be light skinned. So it is not as simple as @Viscount's post made it out to be, only an approximation.

Very interesting study, can you break it down for me? The things I understood where that multiple alleles have affect on what type of skin tone you have. Also UV radiaton and surprisingly altitude has an affect on skin tone. The rest where scientific jargon that I did not understand.

 

[Viscount]

There are many many skin tone alleles. That one (SLC4A5 - rs1426654) is just the most potent lightening known to science, but there are many more, in particular darkening African ones found in this study:

Science | AAAS

science.sciencemag.org

You can have AA on the lightening SLC4A5 - rs1426654 allele, but if you then also carry darkening African ones you won't be light skinned. So it is not as simple as @Viscount's post made it out to be, only an approximation.

what exactly is the darkening African one, you seem to know a lot about this subject matter. Where you that Somali fellow who blogged about genetics and hasn't posted since 2018. I forgot the name of his blog.

 

[Apollo]

what exactly is darkening African one, you seem to know a lot about this subject matter. Where you that Somali fellow who blogged about genetics and hasn't posted since 2018.

Nah, I'm not him. I know who you mean, he's another person and lives in Dubai. My knowledge on this subject is actually amateur level, lol. I only read up on these population genetics every so often.

Just skim through the images of that study, should give you the basic understanding of the gist. There are alleles that make your skin darker. Those alleles are not featured on 23andMe, but they exist.

The darkness of Indians (from India) is also explained by that study. They carry similar skin tone alleles as Africans, albeit at lower frequencies.