Dominant Eye and Hair Colors: Understanding Genetic Traits

Each genetic characteristic in the body falls into one of two categories: dominant or recessive. According to "Your Genes, Your Choices," by Catherine Baker, a dominant gene is a gene that expresses its instructions.

Brown Eyes

• While eye color has many possibilities, the only eye color that has dominance is brown. When a brown eye color trait combines with any other gene color (e.g. hazel, green, gray and blue), the brown eye color gene will gain prominence.

Dark Hair

• Out of the many hair color potentials, any hair color that has a dark hue expresses a dominant trait. Lighter colors, such as blond and light brown, contain a recessive gene and will lack expression when combined with the dominant gene for dark hair.

Non-Red Hair

• Non-red hair is a dominant gene. Red hair expresses a highly recessive gene. Therefore, when combined with any other color, dark or light, the non-red gene will gain the dominant spot.