I was on the bus the other day when I noticed a Oriental fellow with Down Syndrome.
What was interesting though was that even though I can tell he was oriental (eyes had an Oriental feel to it but weren’t slanted), he looked exactly like a typical person with Down Syndrome.
I know there are some genes that probably controls this, but why is it that almost all Down Syndrome people have eerily similar facial appearances?
Even across races?
It’s just a consequence of the genetic effects of the disorder. Down’s Syndrome is caused by having a third copy of chromosome 21 (Trisomy 21) and it causes developmental effects that include a particular facial structure, large tongue, congenital heart defects, etc.
Other disorders can do the same thing - William’s Syndrome I believe causes a particular set of physical differences as well. Why not? If it causes changes in the brain structure, why not the structure of the face as well?
Of course, it has to be noted that these things occur in degrees; there are different types of Down’s Syndrome and they don’t necessarily manifest identically, so these physical differences can occur to varying degrees.
why is it that almost all Down Syndrome people have eerily similar facial appearances?
Not only are there physical similarities, they are often similar in other ways too. My younger sister has Downs, and so I’ve met many others who also have Downs.
My family laughs that they “all” walk, talk, run and laugh alike, plus can be as stubborn as a mule! It’s almost eerie sometimes.
Here’s a link to a site that you might find interesting.