posted July 13, 2010 02:14 PM            

Widow's peak hair has been the subject of folklore and associated with villains on screen and in print. You may be surprised to find out that this type of hairline is caused by a dominant gene.
Introduction

A widow's peak is a "V" shape in the middle of the hairline. This term was originally used because this type of hairline was thought to indicate that a woman would outlive her husband. The shape reminded the observer of a style of headdress worn by a woman in mourning. Despite the name, both men and women can have a widow's peak hairline.
Widow's Peak and Genetics

Whether you will have a widow's peak hairline is determined by your genes. You may be surprised to learn that widow's peak hair is caused by a dominant gene. You inherit one gene that determines the shape of your hairline from each parent. If one or both copies of them are the widow's peak version, then your hairline has the distinctive "V" shape. However, if you inherit two straight hairline genes from your parents, your hairline will be straight.

If one of your parents has a widow's peak and the other one doesn't, that doesn't necessarily mean that all the children in the family will have a widow's peak hairline. It will depend on whether the parent with the widow's peak inherited two dominant genes or one dominant one and one recessive one.

In a situation where the parent with the widow's peak has two dominant genes, then the children will inherit this characteristic as well. However, if the parent with the widow's peak hairline has a dominant and a recessive gene, and the other parent has two recessive genes, then some of the children may have a straight hairline and some may inherit the widow's peak. In fact the chance that a child will inherit a widow's peak hairline in this situation is 50%.
Famous People Who Have a Widow's Peak

A number of famous people have a widow's peak. In stories and on film, this trait may be associated with a villain, such as in the case of Count Dracula. You may recall that Eddie Munster, from the television program
, "The Munsters," also had this distinctive hairline.

Another villain depicted as having widow's peak hair is The Joker from "Batman" comic books and films. Hannibal Lecter is described as having one in the novels that feature his story.

Actors Keanu Reeves, John Travolta, and Wentworth Miller all have widow peaks. Marilyn Monroe had one, as did Boris Karloff. Mikhail Baryshnikov, the famous Russian dancer, also has one.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/34508.aspx#ixzz0taU28Xmb

http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/34508.aspx

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Raymond Andrews,
President,Executive Director of Developmental Neurodiversity Association
Supporting the Neurodiversity Movement

posted July 13, 2010 02:45 PM            

I always had a widow's peak, and I have Virgo Ascendant. Everybody else in my family seems to have one too.

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Raymond Andrews,
President,Executive Director of Developmental Neurodiversity Association
Supporting the Neurodiversity Movement

posted July 13, 2010 02:53 PM            

quote:

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hi glaucus! no one in my family on either side has one and no one has virgo asc either. and why now? it seems very odd to me and also it is happening during my thirties while i find myself being more libran. just wondering if there is a connection at all.

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As we go through the signs, features will start popping out

Ami

posted July 13, 2010 06:46 PM            

My mom's a Pisces with a widow's peak.

posted July 14, 2010 09:39 AM            

widow's peak is a genetic dominant trait like having brown eyes
not having one is a genetic recessive trait like having blue eyes

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Raymond Andrews,
President,Executive Director of Developmental Neurodiversity Association
Supporting the Neurodiversity Movement

posted July 14, 2010 12:49 PM            

That's exactly what I have been thinking.

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Raymond Andrews,
President,Executive Director of Developmental Neurodiversity Association
Supporting the Neurodiversity Movement

posted July 14, 2010 01:29 PM              

the only way to tell if your theory is right ..
i.e. the sign libra is connected to having a 'widows peak' ..
is to do a research .. figure the stats ..

who knows .. you might discover a new connection with astrology ..

btw .. seems i might have your chart here .. 4th april '74 ??
if so .. then tChiron is currently trining your Saturn ..
tUranus is squaring nSaturn ..
t.Pluto is trining your Mercury
( ignore that if the dates wrong .. chart file just sais 'taurusvirgo'
( must have calc'd it due to a prev astro query ..

*** bc you were trying to mock me? **
absolutely Not !!! ..
chimps are humans nearest animal relative as far as i know ..
just made sense to look at their features .. re the widows peak theory - query ..