Expert: Walter Hintz - 1/24/2012

Question
Was i just curious to know; I'm brown skinned(shade darker than paperbag brown) and the father is fairly darker he does have Indian in his family a lot closer than i do. my daughter is lighter than me and him, my eyes are dark brown, his is not as dark, my daughters is again a little lighter than the both of us. she has most of his features but its all just a lighter.

Answer
Hi Stepanie
All pigmentation depends upon a concentration of melanin. The amount depends upon your genetic makeup.
Dark pigment dominates over light pigment. While most traits are determined by a single gene, coloration of the eyes, hair, and skin is determined by multiple genes so you can get a blending effect. This explains the variations in your family