# pigment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2000, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049 "2000-08-12T01:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nealbelinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@nealbelinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nealbelinsky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/1 "2000-08-12T01:20:56Z")
Can two fair skinned people produce a black child? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/2 "2000-08-12T01:37:43Z")
Nope. Long version: there are at least 7 or 8 genes that control skin color. I believe that with most, if not all, dark is dominant to light, but I’m not sure of that. Even if light were dominant and dark were recessive, you’d need to have parents with the same recessive allele at, say, 5 or so loci, then combine those alleles in the kid. In that case, it would merely be wildly improbably. ---
**Author:** ![barflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@barflyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barflyer)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/3 "2000-08-12T04:52:49Z")
So you’re saying the reverse is probable? That two blacks can have a fairskinned child? Or am I reading your math wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/4 "2000-08-12T05:14:17Z")
If the darker genes are dominant, (Someone please confirm that they are) then yes it is definitely possible. Both black parents could be carriers for the recessive lighter genes but still be black. If the two recessive genes (overly simplified since we are not dealing with pea pods) end up in the child, then the child will be white. Also, I knew an albino child who had two black parents. One could tell his parents were black because of his hair (even though it was blonde) and his facial features. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/5 "2000-08-12T05:16:00Z")
Sorry, I was answering barfly, not the OP. To the OP. I do not think it is possible. Not if the darker genes are dominant. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/6 "2000-08-13T04:12:34Z")
From **Textbook of Human Genetics,** by Max Levitan > [@](#): > > More recent data…suggests that a minimum of three, possibly as many as six, loci are involved. All agree, however, that skin color differences in human beings depend on additive interactions with little or no dominance. > > This carries implications that are contrary to some widely held misconceptions among the lay public. it explains, for exampe why **marriages between two persons, each of whom as mixed black and white ancestry, can result in children who are darker than the darkest parent while others could be lighter than the lightest parent**. If, for example, skin color differences depend on four loci on different chormosomes, A, B, C, and D, and we assume the higher case allele of each locus adds more pigment than the lower case one, a relatively dark person could have the genotype A/a B/B C/c D/d and a relatively light one might be A/a b/b c/c D/d. A child of theirs with a genotype A/A B/b C/c D/D would probably be darker than the relatively dark parent, whereas one iwth genotype a/a B/b c/c d/d would be expected to be lighter than the relatively light parent. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pigment/29049/7 "2000-08-14T17:58:47Z")
Recent genetic discoveries notwithstanding, I think this is an old legend about “octaroons.” My late grandfather once told me the most crackpot racist story I ever heard, about these octaroons. According to his story, 2 parents who each have as little as 1/8th black heritage and look entirely caucasian can produce a completely black child. I think this was a bunch of racist propaganda dating back to the Civil War, to discourage people from miscegenation.