The case of the Chinese girl with blond hair and blue eyes: the genetic mystery, elucidated by DNA tests
A three-year-old girl from eastern China has attracted the attention of the whole country because of her unusual European-like features, even though both parents are Chinese. Her story has garnered more than 120 million views on social media in mainland China.
The girl caught the attention of netizens PHOTO SCMP Douyin
The family lives in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, and the parents were initially puzzled by their daughter's unusual appearance. At first, they even wondered if there was an error at the maternity hospital at the time of the birth in May 2022, writes the South China Morning Post.
However, several DNA tests confirmed that the girl, nicknamed Guojiang (name meaning “jam”), is their biological child, according to Haibao News. After analyzing the family's genetic history, the parents discovered that the child's paternal great-grandfather was of Russian origin. He had married a woman from Henan province in central China and lived there until his death in 1985.
The girl's father, surnamed Yang, said that in his family, until Guojiang, all children born had been boys.
“The recessive genes inherited from my great-grandfather that influence physical appearance don't seem to show up in males”he explained. Yang pointed out that neither he nor his male relatives, including his father, show traits that indicate this mixed genetic inheritance.
At birth, Guojiang had an ordinary appearance for a Chinese newborn. The distinctive features began to appear around the age of eight months, when her eyes turned blue.
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The blonde girl with blue eyes from China FoTO Douyin
By the time he was a year old, these characteristics had become more pronounced: his hair lightened, became blond and curly, his eyelashes lengthened, and the color of his eyes became more intense.
“Some older relatives and friends say my daughter looks a lot like her great-grandfather”Yang said. He added: “When we go out with her, many people are curious and ask us why she looks different. Sometimes we get tired of explaining the same thing to strangers.”
The family also has a distant relative settled in Serbia, but according to the father, contact with this is rare.
A popular science blogger known as Lao Ren explained that this case is a classic example of transgenerational genetic inheritance.
“The genes that determine hair and eye color are recessive. Male family members carry them, even if they are not reflected in their appearance”he said, adding: “These traits can manifest when a girl is born.”
The little girl quickly became the subject of intense debate on social media in mainland China. “What a beautiful and adorable baby! The family genes are impressive”one user wrote, another adding: “Good luck with the DNA tests, otherwise it would have been difficult to explain the origin of this little girl.”
