Your Features Might Reveal Secrets About Your Genetics And Ancestry

Rae Batchelor | March 8, 2024 10:25 pm

Get ready to dive into an intriguing world where your looks speak volumes! It turns out your features hold secrets not just about how you appear but also about your genetics, personality, and ancestry.

This article takes you on a fascinating journey, unveiling the hidden tales encoded in your very own DNA. Let's get started!

Egyptian Toes

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The "Egyptian toe" is probably what you think about when you think about the standard shape of someone's foot. It's when the big toe is the biggest, and every toe following that is descending in size, making a smooth line down to the smallest toe, which is the pinky.

If your toes are shaped like that, you might have some Egyptian blood in you!

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Roman Nose

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A Roman nose, or "aquiline" nose, refers to a nose that has a ridge and then a hook at the end of it. You might also sometimes hear these kinds of noses described as "bird-like."

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Having a nose like this might suggest Roman ancestry! It's often seen as a very noble feature to have.

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Belly Button Position

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Did you know your belly button might tell you if you're naturally inclined to be a better runner or a swimmer?

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Your belly button represents where your center of gravity is, so if it's higher or lower than normal, you might find that it affects your athletic ability. Runners with high belly buttons tend to be faster than those with lower ones!

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Wide Nostrils

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Take a deep breath!

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People with wide nostrils likely come from ancestors who lived in hot climates! Your nose is there to filter in air and make it warmer when you breathe it in, and in hot climates, there's not as much cold air to filter out. Small nostrils could inversely mean you're from people who lived in a colder climate.

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Talk With Your Hands

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The lengths of our fingers might be able to tell us a whole lot about ourselves!

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If your index finger is longer than your ring finger (like in Figure B above), then it could mean that you are less likely to get prostate cancer! Some scientists have claimed that men with longer index fingers were 33% less likely to develop prostate cancer.

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Stretch 'Em Wide

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If you can spread your fingers really wide, it might mean that you're an open person who finds it easy to be vulnerable!

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Conversely, if your fingers are tight together and you find it hard to spread them wide, it might be a sign that you're someone who is more naturally guarded.

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Sharp Cheekbones

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High, defined, wide cheekbones are a feature that's enviable regardless of gender, but it might signify something in men!

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If you have cheekbones that could cut glass, it could indicate that you have higher levels of testosterone. This could mean you're more likely to be aggressive or just have a wider face in general.

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Secrets Of The Toes

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If you have a long big toe, it might mean that you're a more creative person!

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It might also mean that you have German ancestry, as a large big toe with all the other similar lengths is very common for German people. But that's not everything that your toes can tell you about yourself!

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Third Toe Energy

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If you've got a third toe that's longer than your big toe, it can be a sign that you're someone who's got a lot of extra energy!

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This is also known as the "Roman toe," and it can be difficult to find shoes that fit since you have more toe pushing against the top of the shoe itself.

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Tall Tales

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Your height might contain clues to where you're from! If you're someone who's very tall, it might suggest that you have genetics that can be traced from Northern Europe or Africa, where the average height is much higher.

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And, of course, the same goes for people out there who are short!

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Short King Communities

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If you're on the smaller side, it might mean you come from a lineage of smaller communities where extra strength or height wasn't needed as much — like in close-knit groups or in societies where travel was not as important, like on islands.

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Of course, it could also just come down to luck!

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Long Live Short People

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Speaking of luck, it might actually be luckier to be shorter than taller!

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According to a study done by researchers at the Kuakini Medical Center, people who are shorter actually lived longer than their taller counterparts, and it may be because they have a gene that taller people do not.

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Dairy-Free?

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If you're lactose intolerant, it might be a sign that your ancestors are not from Northern Europe! The genes that are tied to being tolerant of dairy products are most commonly found in Northern European communities and people.

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But lactose intolerance might be a sign of where you are historically from!

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Really Milking It

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In East Asia and in China, lactose intolerance is much higher and much more likely! This could be due to a lot of factors, including the fact that in Northern Europe, people are much more likely to be exposed to more dairy products than those in East Asian countries.

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Genetics and what you're exposed to growing up play a huge role!

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Sweet Or Salty?

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Similarly, if you have a big sweet tooth or prefer salty snacks, that could be a result of your genes as well!

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Sweet food lovers tend to be more likely to be found in European communities, and East Asian communities tend to have more savory enjoyers. This could be genetics or just the influence of society!

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The Nose Knows

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If you have a big nose, it might be something you're self-conscious about or something you were teased for, but you might have the last laugh!

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A big nose might mean that you're more naturally inclined to be a strong leader and reliable when times get tough out there.

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Small Nose, Small Problems

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But if you have a small nose, don't fret! Small noses can be a sign of a more cheerful personality, and people who have small noses can have more optimistic outlooks on situations and tough times.

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If you're a hard worker with a small nose, those two things just might be related!

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A Rebel's Nose?

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If you have a nose that's hooked, which means it curves downwards at the bottom, you might be more naturally inclined to be a rebel!

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If your nose follows its own path on your face, it might mean that you're more likely to follow your own path in life, no matter what!

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Type O-h No!

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We know that those with Type O blood are universal donors, which makes them popular at blood banks, but they're also popular with another group — mosquitos!

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It's not totally clear why mosquitos tend to prefer those with Type O blood. It might have to do with the same reason they're universal donors, or it might just be that they taste better!

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Ear Crease Warnings

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Take a look at your earlobes! If you have a crease in both of them (which is called a bilateral ear crease), you might actually have a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease.

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Everyone should be conscious of their heart health, but especially those with this unique feature on their ears!

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Tongue Tone

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The color of your tongue might actually reveal something about you — but not necessarily related to your genetics!

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If your tongue is dark red in color, that can be a sign of a couple of things, including a lack of nutrients like B12! Of course, if you've been eating a lot of high-acid foods, that can deepen your tongue color too.

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Brown Eye Problems

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How much alcohol the average person can handle varies greatly depending on a ton of different factors, but did you know that eye color might be one of those?

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People with brown eyes have more melanin in their brains, which means that alcohol can get processed faster, which means you get drunker quicker.

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Celtic Toes

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If your second toe is the longest toe you've got, that's called a "Celtic toe" and, predictably, can be a sign that you're from a Celtic lineage!

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Celts come from various cultures, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England. If your second toe is long, you should take a look at your family tree!

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Red Hair Reality

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You probably associate red hair with people from Ireland or Scotland, but it turns out that people with red hair are likely to find that their ancestries can be traced all over Europe.

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It's not exactly known where red hair came from because even the redheads in European history showed up after people had settled there.

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Freckles, Too

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You can have freckles without having red hair, and you can have red hair without having freckles, but these genes are pretty closely related, so they can be traced back to similar parts of Europe, especially the Northern areas where fair skin is even more common!

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Of course, they also look beautiful.

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Asymmetrical Faces

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You might be self-conscious about it if your face isn't perfectly symmetrical, but people without symmetrical faces might actually be better leaders who are more willing to take charge and show initiative!

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But don't worry. Most people's faces aren't perfectly mirrored anyway, so don't get too hung up on the differences.

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Greek Nose

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A Greek nose is one that is long and straight with a narrow ridge, and on top of implying that you might have some Greek ancestry in your genes, it can also mean that you're a hard-working person who is great at staying organized.

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People with Greek noses are often seen as being "scholarly," which makes sense, given the history of Greek scholars and philosophers.

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Big Head, More Thoughts?

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If you have a big forehead, you might be smarter than average! No, it's not just because there's more real estate in your head for your brain, but that might have a little bit to do with it.

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Studies have shown that babies with bigger foreheads tend to be smarter over their lives than others!

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Long Eyebrows, No Problems

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If you've got long, dramatic eyebrows that let you pull off a perfect skeptical brow raise, you might find that you have less reason to pull off the expression than others!

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People with long eyebrows might be better at dealing with pressure and stress, on top of being better listeners! Pretty brow-raising stuff!

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High Arches

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If you've got really high arches in your feet, it could be a sign that you're more self-sufficient and independent than other people! You might like marching to the beat of your own drum.

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Of course, it could be tough to find shoes to do that marching in if your arches are really, really high.

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