The Power Of Unique Genetics: More Fascinating Individuals With Rare Genetic Traits

By: Lilli Keeve | Published: Feb 21, 2023

Humans are pretty incredible! Each one of us is completely different from the other and offers unique characteristics and traits.

Remarkably, there are people out there with unique traits that have never been seen before, or, a rare few people that share the same traits. Let’s check out some more examples of the immense power that genetics have and the fascinating individuals who are born with them. 

A Hypnotizing Purple Birthmark In His Eye

Birthmarks are one of the many ways that differentiate us from other humans. And, it’s almost a cool stamp of uniqueness that’s entirely your own. This guy’s purple birthmark is really interesting. It’s not something that you see often, either.

Advertisement

Source: Imgur

The birthmark certainly falls under the category of unique genetics – in somebody’s eye no less. It makes this individual pretty cool and unique. There’s definitely nobody else like him that exists in the world and he probably knows it to be true!

Advertisement

This Labrador Has Vitiligo And It Makes Him Look Like A Masked Superhero

Rowdy the lab may have one of the coolest rare animal genetics we’ve seen. He’s absolutely adorable, as well! His rare genetic condition is called vitiligo which happens when there’s a pigmentation loss in the skin due to a lack of melanin. 

Advertisement

Source: Imgur

He’s also an incredible dog. Rowdy worked with kids who also have rare skin conditions to raise awareness. His white eye circles truly make him look like an actual superhero or a super-dog who fights crime in his neighborhood and makes a positive impact on kids. 

Ever Seen An Extremely Muscular Cat Before? Now You Have!

Myostatin-related hypertrophy is a rare genetic condition that this cat has and it causes extreme muscle growth. We can safely say that we’ve never seen anything like this before in a feline!

Advertisement

Source: Imgur

The condition causes reduced body fat and increases skeletal muscle size. Individuals with this condition have twice the normal amount of muscle mass in their bodies. But, it doesn’t only occur with animals, humans can also get it, too. The cat looks like he’s been bulking up for weeks now and hitting up the gym on a regular basis! 

Wait, Those Aren’t Best Friends?

At first glance, you may not believe these two girls are actually biracial twins who are often mistaken for being besties. Millie and Marcia are twins even though it doesn’t seem like that based on their appearances. 

Advertisement

Source: Imgur

One girl inherited her mom’s complexion, while the other got her father’s side of the unique genetic lottery. Plus, they also have different hair colors. Each girl inherited different genes from each parent and they are absolutely adorable. They even have the same pink lunch packs! Can you say twinning?

A Single Line Across Their Palm

We can’t deny that this genetic trait is visually and aesthetically appealing. It’s referred to as a single transverse palm crease (it used to be called a simian crease). Based on the image, it forms a divide between the top and bottom halves of this person’s palm. 

Source: Imgur

On at least one hand, only 1.5% of the population has this extraordinary trait. Do you know anybody who has a single line across their palm? Most of us have two slightly offset creases across our palms. 

Advertisement

This Cat Was Born With Four Ears

Here we have Yoda, an adorable kitty born with four ears! Not only this, but he also possesses two other equally wonderful characteristics: an obsession with bread and muffled purrs. His genetic makeup is wholly unique and quite unlike anything similar that we’ve seen before. 

Source: Imgur

Luckily for this fella, his condition doesn’t hurt or harm him in any way. It isn’t dangerous and his hearing still functions normally, even if sounds may be more heightened. Aww, our hearts are melting! 

Advertisement

Wait, They Aren’t Related? Sure Fooled Us

Did you know that 99% of human DNA is universally comprised of the exact same material known as “bases”? The only thing that differs from person to person is the order of the material. A perfect analogy would be the alphabet – the same letters can make up different words just as different DNA structures make for each individual.

Source: Imgur

Sometimes, though, eerie things happen. These two guys aren’t even related but they look as if they could be brothers! How crazy is that? 

Advertisement

This Woman And Her Dog Both Share Heterochromia

People who have this rare genetic condition, heterochromia, experience variations of colors. However, the term is commonly associated with people who have different colored irises. It can also be used to describe differences in hair and skin colors, as well.  

Source: Imgur

It’s incredible and beautiful that this woman and her dog both have the same condition. Not only is it extraordinary, but also endearing and mesmerizing. What are the chances that they both have heterochromia? They were meant to find each other!

Advertisement

The Day You Learn Your Eye’s Birthmark Is Heart-Shaped

As shown earlier on, birthmarks can come in any form, shape, size, and even color. Most of the time, though, they don’t hold any specific significance to us. But, a heart-shaped birthmark – on your eye no less – is extremely rare and a sight you don’t often see (if ever). 

Source: Imgur

This person has a heart-shaped birthmark on the white part of their eye called a sclera. Not only is this very rare, but it’s also beyond cool and fascinating. Genetics are incredible. 

Advertisement

The Baby Born With A Perfect “2” On Their Head

Our first question is: was this their second child? Apparently, it wasn’t, so maybe this child number two ate the other one while in the womb. This unordinary trait is something straight out of a science fiction or fantasy movie! 

Source: u_JoumanaKayrouz/ Reddit

She’s either twice as smart as a normal baby or twice as strong. Either way, she’s definitely unique and probably a super baby. The cherry on top would be if their next baby had a “3” on their head! But, we still want to know what happened to kid #1. 

Advertisement

Hello Darkness (And Internal Bruising), My Old Friend

Alright, this one is pretty strange and interesting. The person in the photo can see the internal bruising inside their fingers when they hold them up to the light. Ok, but, where are his bones?

Source: u_Enceladus89/ Reddit

While this is very unique, it’s a bit creepy! There’s a theory, though. Bones can’t be seen because light scatters a lot through flesh so only the stuff near the skin (the surface) he is taking the photo of, can be seen. You can try this out by holding your hands up to a really strong light source, by the way. 

Advertisement

Both Are 29 Years Old With A 2-Week-Old Son

The saying, “Like father, like son” is beyond accurate in this scenario. These two young gentlemen are the same age (29) and look extremely similar. And, they are both photographed rocking that classic Mickey Mouse t-shirt. 

Source: Imgur

Aside from them looking exactly the same, they both came to father a kid by the age of 29. It’s a twofold coincidence that is truly astounding and, once again, shows the eerieness of genetics. Awe and wonder are what this photo makes us feel! 

Advertisement

This Apatani Tribe Woman Wears Huge Nose Plugs

According to the legend, these women tried to “cover” their beauty by inserting giant nose plugs into their noses. This really makes them stand out in the most unique way possible, but what’s the reasoning behind this?

Source: Imgur

These Apatani tribe women also tattoo their faces. They used to be captured by neighboring tribesmen because of their great beauty, so the elders of the village decided to put in nose plugs to make other women less attractive and unappealing. And, it’s a tactic that works. 

Advertisement

Only One Joint In Their Pinky

This person’s condition is not only interesting, but it’s also unusual. Imagine this guy pulling his one-jointed pinky out at a high school party and gathering a whole crowd around him. Is this a kind of superhuman thing?

Source: Imgur

It truly is nice to have a cool party trick on hand like that one to impress random people (and your crush). Although it’s pretty weird, it’s also very interesting. Needless to say, we wonder if this gene will be passed on to his children. 

Advertisement

Yeah, These Two Guys Are Twins

It’s a well-known fact that not all twins are identical. Not even all twins look exactly the same. In fact, some twins hardly resemble each other at all – like these two!

Source: Imgur

With these two guys right here, you may not have known that they are indeed related. Considering they each have different hair colors and skin pigmentation, it’s certainly possible that nobody would have been able to tell that they are twins. Ah, genetics are weird and amazing at the same time. 

Advertisement

Alopecia Is A Rare Scalp Condition

Alopecia is known as an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing inflammation. Normally, it only affects the scalp, and people lose round patches of their hair over the course of a few weeks. Luckily, the hair grows back within a year for most people that have this condition. 

Source: Imgur

It’s also the medical term for bald. Researchers deduce the reasoning for this condition are due to both genetic and non-genetic (environmental) factors, but they don’t know for sure or understand what causes it.  

Advertisement

Born Without A Pinky Finger On Their Right Hand

This rare congenital (not inherited) hand condition is known as symbrachydactyly and it happens before a baby is born. The result is having abnormally short fingers that may be webbed or missing entirely. In this particular case, the person’s right hand in this photo is absent of a pinky finger.

Source: u_fm369/ Reddit

We wonder if the doctor ever gave them an explanation. It occurs in the womb due to a lack of blood flow to the tissue while the fingers are developing. Maybe this is the next step in human evolution…? 

Advertisement

Meet Snowflake, The World’s Only Known Albino Gorilla

Born in 1964, Snowflake was the only gorilla in the world that possesses albinism. He was living in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain at the Barcelona Zoo. None of Snowflake’s surviving offspring inherited his albinism, but they do carry the recessive albino gene. This means that there is a tiny chance of them giving birth to another albino gorilla. 

Source: Imgur

Sadly, Snowflake passed away in 2003 from skin cancer. Albinism does make those who have it more susceptible to getting that form of the disease. 

Advertisement

A Spiky Chicken

Not every chicken looks exactly the same, and this spiky chicken certainly stands out from the crowd. He’s a cute little fella!

Source: Imgur

How did this chicken get its spiky appearance? He’s actually a mix of a few different chicken breeds, which results in his amazing singular and distinctive looks. His spiky, yet fluffy feathers, narrow eyes, and wonderfully red beak, are all his own. What an atypical chicken! We love the little spiky hairs standing up on his head, too. 

Advertisement

Red Hair In People Of African Descent

To begin with, red hair is already an uncommon genetic trait (around one to two percent of people have it). And, it’s even rarer for people of African descent to have this color of hair. This genetic variation is caused by a mutation in the MC1R gene that’s inherited from parents and grandparents. 

Source: Pinterest

Those who possess this mutation have red hair, freckles, or blue eyes. Australia’s indigenous people have a gene mutation that’s similar. Although rare, they definitely exist and are extremely unique. 

Advertisement

Watch Out For This Deadly Double-Fanged Kitten

We can confirm that we’ve never come across a double-fanged cat before. On rare occasions, nature just decides to mess around and give a cat an extra fang, which can certainly be an advantage. You definitely don’t want to make this cat mad or irritated. Watch out!

Source: Imgur

All of you cat owners can attest to how much a cat’s bite can hurt sometimes. So, adding another fang to the equation makes the already painful situation much more serious and deadly. 

Advertisement

This Guy Was Born Without Nipples

The number of distinctive unique traits that people all over the world have is rather expansive. While some genetic traits may be more extreme or extra than others, there are certain people who are lacking something.

Source: Imgur

In this case, this guy was born with no nipples, and his classmates clearly took notice. When he was right in the middle of a band performance, someone took this image of his unique genetic trait and had to share it on social media. 

Advertisement

Dimples On The Forehead Throughout The Generations

This is an example of a very unique genetic trait that you likely wouldn’t expect. Even though the little girl is still a baby, it’s impossible to ignore just how much she resembles her dad. So, what’s cooler than that?

Source: Imgur

When he was young, her dad also had a dimple on his forehead. It’s often a unique feature that he would crack jokes about, but, coincidentally, his daughter was born with the same trait exactly. They can now crack jokes together! 

Advertisement

Twins Who Married Twins And Had Twins Of Their Own

One night when you couldn’t sleep, did your mind drift off to wondering if twins married another pair of twins? And, if so, what would the outcome be if they had children? Well, this sweet family photo answers that question spot-on. 

Source: Imgur

These two twin sisters did marry two twin brothers. They also got pregnant at nearly the same time and ended up each birthing a pair of twins. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the twins are a spitting image of their parents when they grow up. 

Advertisement

This Albino Lion’s Fearsome Roar

Here’s another spectacular and unique example of an animal with albinism. No, this lion wasn’t born in the North Pole, he just has this rare genetic trait condition. 

Source: Imgur

His snowy fur is truly an awe-inspiring and magnificent sight. He’s seriously so adorable, even though he wants everybody to know that he’s the king of the jungle. This means that he shouldn’t be underestimated, but his yawning is too cute. We must admire this beautiful, powerful, and, albeit sleepy, albino animal. 

Advertisement

This Father And Son Both Enlisted At Age 19

The most noticeable difference between these two photos is obviously their quality, considering they were taken very far apart in time from each other. Also, it’s important to mention that both of these men decided to enlist and protect their country, which is an admirable decision. Hey, like father, like son!

Source: Imgur

It’s even more remarkable how identical they look. They are even donning the same uniform and cap and, if you were to ask us which is which, we wouldn’t be able to tell you. 

Advertisement

An Adorable And Stunning Cat With Heterochromia

Heterochromia doesn’t only apply to gender, race, hair type, one’s body size, or even species. Cats have it, too. It’s actually a genetic condition that is more common in animals than in humans. These cats typically have one iris that’s blue, while the other is green, yellow, or brown. 

Source: Imgur

In fact, furry felines with odd eyes even pop up sometimes in the traditional tales and folklore of certain cultures. We truly can’t get enough of those incredible animals that have heterochromia: they’re mesmerizing and spectacular.  

Advertisement

1 in 10,000 White Killer Whale

It’s challenging to figure out how rare something is, but that’s far from the case with this white killer whale. For every standard, dark killer whale, there’s 0.0001 white killer whale, meaning that there’s one white killer whale for every ten thousand dark killer whales. Oops, we didn’t mean for this to turn into a basic math lesson! 

Source: Imgur

This rare white killer whale may, indeed, be Iceberg, who has been spotted numerous times off the coast of Russia. He was given that nickname because he was seen in the north Pacific in the spring of 2012. He’s estimated to be 22 years old. 

Advertisement

Who Is Who?

Here’s another example of an image that went viral for clear reasons. Nobody could come close to guessing who in this photo was the mother and who were the daughters. The most surprising thing, however, is their real ages.

Source: Imgur

Sharon Hsu, on the left, is the 36-year-old sister, and in the middle is her mother, who is 63 years of age. And, on the right is Lure Hsu, who is 41 years old. We wouldn’t have guessed that they weren’t all sisters because the mother in the middle looks the exact age as her daughters! 

Advertisement