Moash a lighteyes son ? (Theory)

[Oudeis]

Would any earth genetics explain how Adolin would have strands of blond hair and strands of black hair from a black-haired parent and a blond-haired parent?

 

Moash's oath is most interesting because it's the same one as (or at least very similar to) the one Dalinar swore; we don't see any other noblemen swear it. Is it a particularly noble oath? (the obsession with ancestry makes that seem likely). Is it a Dalinar-specific oath? (which would be fascinating as it implied a connection between Moash and Dalinar). Is it simply something any Alethi might say? (which would be boring since now it means nothing, also why then doesn't anyone else ever say it?)

[Aether]

Would any earth genetics explain how Adolin would have strands of blond hair and strands of black hair from a black-haired parent and a blond-haired parent?

No, it would not. From what I understand, hair colour is uniformly determined by one (group) of genes. Mutations could alter the cells of the individual roots, but this would happen rarely and randomly and not in organized clusters the Rosharans seem to have.

 

Moash's oath is most interesting because it's the same one as (or at least very similar to) the one Dalinar swore; we don't see any other noblemen swear it. Is it a particularly noble oath? (the obsession with ancestry makes that seem likely). Is it a Dalinar-specific oath? (which would be fascinating as it implied a connection between Moash and Dalinar). Is it simply something any Alethi might say? (which would be boring since now it means nothing, also why then doesn't anyone else ever say it?)

This would be awesome. But could you provide the quote? I do not remember Dalinar using it.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Aether

[Oudeis]

He uses it a lot... when I get back from B&N I'll try to find you a few dozen.

[Natans]

No, it would not. From what I understand, hair colour is uniformly determined by one (group) of genes. Mutations could alter the cells of the individual roots, but this would happen rarely and randomly and not in organized clusters the Rosharans seem to have.

 

This would be awesome. But could you provide the quote? I do not remember Dalinar using it.

 

 

He use it a lot, I re-read Dalinar chapters recently, look in the tower battle, or in the vision where Dalinar save the little girl.

[Aether]

Thanks to both of you. Just give me one or two and I'll make sure to keep an eye out for the rest.

[kraefzke]

No, it would not. From what I understand, hair colour is uniformly determined by one (group) of genes. Mutations could alter the cells of the individual roots, but this would happen rarely and randomly and not in organized clusters the Rosharans seem to have.

 

Sorry Aether, but this is not entirely true. While - to the best of my knowledge - you are right as far as earth-human hair color is concerned (I really don't have the time to check this though), the question went a little further than that:

 

 

Would any earth genetics explain how Adolin would have strands of blond hair and strands of black hair from a black-haired parent and a blond-haired parent?

 

Any earth genetics. So the answer should definitely be yes. I really don't want to turn this into a discussion or (worse) a lecture on advanced genetics (well, I'd actually love to but I don't want to bore or, worse, offend anybody), but there are several mechanisms that could lead to this outcome. It happens in female cats all the time (has to do with X-chromosome inactivation). Sure, Adolin is male, but then genetic sex-determination could work differently for Rosharan humans than for earth humans (and cats) - for example like in earth fruit flys (where the ratio of chromosomes determines gender) or in earth turtles (where it is all about temperature). Also, chromosome inactivation does not only occur in sex chromosomes - you might have heard about Prader-Willi syndrome or similar genetic disorders.

 

Also, I can imagine other mechanisms for this to occur (I won't go into detail now, because I'd have to research the topic quite a bit to do so and really don't have the time).

 

My point is: The fact (if it even is a fact) that this doesn't occur for earth-human hair color genes shouldn't make us jump to the conclusion that genetics on Roshar are a wholly different thing than on earth - it might just as easily be a little different than in earth-humans but based on all the same principles and mechanisms.

 

Edit: Actually, Prader-Willi syndrome is not about whole chromosome inactivation but about imprinting, which is similar but different. Just for correctness' sake. Doesn't alter any of the above.

Edited December 5, 2013 by kraefzke

[Aether]

Woah! Well I stand corrected (or, well, sit atm). I didn't think of how some animal can have spotted patterns in their fur. While this is arguably a bit more complicated then what goes on with our hair, you're right to point out that this could theoretically work on human hair as well given a slightly different scenario.

 

I am not familiar with Prader-Willi syndrome. TO THE WIKIPEDIAMOBILE!

[Oudeis]

There is no standard way, failing mutation, for genetic heredity as it works on Earth to result in calico hair. Whether it's a big change or small, we know there is a change to how hereditary genetics works on Roshar. I put to you that, with the implications we've got from the book, eye color isn't simply dominant/recessive like it is on Earth, and that the balance of evidence suggests that, until we have some real reason to suggest otherwise, two light-eyes cannot have a dark-eyed child.

[The Count]

The simple explanations are usually the best:

 

Theory: On Roshar a child inherits one of the parents eye colours

 

1) Two Lighteyes - always have a lighteyed child

2) Two Darkeyes - always have a darkeyed child

3) One of each - could get lighteyed or darkeyed children (lets say 50/50)

 

Simples.

[dj26792]

I come to this topic a bit late bearing the dreaded 'vague memory of WOB' but I'm pretty sure there is a quote out there that talks about genetics in the Cosmere and likens it to a '4-dimensional punnett sqaure', where at least one of the additional factors is geography.

 

So after writing that I actually found not the original quote but the topic in the mistborn forums where I originally saw it, where the discussion includes several other useful quotes, and out of laziness decided to simply give you this. (which is to say the whole topic, its ok, its short)

[Aether]

I was familiar with only a few of these WoBs, so thank you! =)