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Michael Jackson's Kids

Bill Thompson

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Who gets Jackson's kids now that he is gone? I can say that it is unlikely that he was ever the biological father anyway.

http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/michael_jackson_shopping_for_comics#27861

Rowe has never given up any of her parental rights. As a result, under California law, Rowe is now presumed to be the person who will get custody. The only way Rowe can be denied custody is if a court determines it would be "detrimental to the children."
 
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Bill Thompson said:
it is unlikely that he was ever the biological father anyway.
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I was wondering the same thing,
isn't the darker skin of African Americans a dominant type of genetic trait?
and aren't the first two kids quite fair, blue-eyed and blonde haired?
 
Yeah this really is the most important issue at this point: not MJ's past, or his medication, or his finances, etc.
 
No. The black skin is not dominant, and not recessive, either. The melanin content of the skin can vary a lot when mixed parents bear them, even among siblings. Some other characteristics, like the hair color and tendency to curl is more clear-cut, but I don't think there is a visible definitive indicator short of genetics.

I understand (listening to NPR this morning) that he left $400 million in debt. I don't know what his assets were, but I don't think his estate will make much of a dent on philanthropy.

He's going to be missed by a lot of people; his music covered a huge area.
 
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shadron said:
No. The black skin is not dominant, and not recessive, either. The melanin content of the skin can vary a lot when mixed parents bear them, even among siblings. Some other characteristics, like the hair color and tendency to curl is more clear-cut, but I don't think there is a visible definitive indicator short of genetics.
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Boy was I misled. I remember working out odds for the genes (alleles) for the expression of melanin content for a college course and it was clear by the math that it was dominant (perhaps that is the wrong term).

The point was that a white parent and a black parent had a much greater chance of producing a non white child because there are so many combinations of alleles that are not white.

If you are right then the math or the premises of alleles and gene expression was wrong.

Could you explain?
 
The method we used to calculate odds was the Punnett square.

Dominance (genetics)

Punnett square

The genetic combinations possible with simple dominance can be expressed by a diagram called a Punnett square. One parent's alleles are listed across the top and the other parent's alleles are listed down the left side. The interior squares represent possible offspring, in the ratio of their statistical probability. In the previous example of flower color, P represents the dominant purple-colored allele and p the recessive white-colored allele. If both parents are purple-colored and heterozygous (Pp), the Punnett square for their offspring would be:
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It's possible for an African American of partial white heritage (as Jackson was) to have a light skinned child with a white woman. Amazingly unlikely but not utterly impossible...but two light skinned and fair haired children?

And then a third fair Caucasian child with another Caucasian woman?

Granted, Michael's own father had blue eyes and Michael was somewhat light skinned...but still.
 
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Randfan, I based my response on what I remember from a question asked in my biology class a long time ago and personal observations of several mixed couples that I have known. I read these two pages cited below to assure myself that I remembered correctly. Of course, back then (late 60s), there wasn't much genetic detail, just Mendelian type observations.

The amount of melanin (two kinds of melanin, actually) in the skin is the result of at least three different genes interacting. A quote from one of the sources below:

"The words dominant and recessive are placed in quotation marks because these pairs of alleles are not truly dominant and recessive as in some of the garden pea traits that Gregor Mendel studied."

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/lmexer5.htm
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1997/makeface/bookskncol.html

The point was that a white parent and a black parent had a much greater chance of producing a non white child because there are so many combinations of alleles that are not white.
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Sure that's true, but at what point is skin white or black? How does Mediterranean or Mid-East "olive" skin get counted? Look at the figures on the pages I ref, and tell me where the dividing line should be - where would you say that this child is definitely black? Do you actually mean the child has to be an albino in order not to count as black?

Come on, you all, don't tell me that all the sudden everyone here has gotten skin-color conscious? No one has actually observed any mixed race children? Just how much white blood is required before a person passes for white, in places where that is still a distinguishing factor?

PS: I did not know what Jackson's putative offspring look like (I have never been overly enamored of him, personally), I was reacting to the general genetics question. Point to ponder: if, as EEM says Jackson's father had blue eyes, that almost certainly assures him having some white genetic within him. Assuming a mother is average white (say, equivalent to Hillary Clinton or Barbara Bush. or - here it gets dicey - Pocahontas or Indira Ghandi) how much white or black would a child be? May guesses? Enough to pass for white to the casual observer?
 
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Roma Hart said:
I was wondering the same thing,
isn't the darker skin of African Americans a dominant type of genetic trait?
and aren't the first two kids quite fair, blue-eyed and blonde haired?
Click to expand...

As somewhat of a expert on the subject, I can say not all the time.;)
 
shadron said:
Sure that's true, but at what point is skin white or black? How does Mediterranean or Mid-East "olive" skin get counted? Look at the figures on the pages I ref, and tell me where the dividing line should be - where would you say that this child is definitely black? Do you actually mean the child has to be an albino in order not to count as black?
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?

From your source which matches with my source.

Polygenic Inheritance: Human skin color is a good example of polygenic (multiple gene) inheritance. Assume that three "dominant" capital letter genes (A, B and C) control dark pigmentation because more melanin is produced. The "recessive"alleles of these three genes (a, b & c) control light pigmentation because lower amounts of melanin are produced. The words dominant and recessive are placed in quotation marks because these pairs of alleles are not truly dominant and recessive as in some of the garden pea traits that Gregor Mendel studied. A genotype with all "dominant" capital genes (AABBCC) has the maximum amount of melanin and very dark skin. A genotype with all "recessive" small case genes (aabbcc) has the lowest amount of melanin and very light skin. Each "dominant" capital gene produces one unit of color, so that a wide range of intermediate skin colors are produced, depending on the number of "dominant" capital genes in the genotype. For example, a genotype with three "dominant" capital genes and three small case "recessive" genes (AaBbCc) has a medium amount of melanin and an intermediate skin color. This latter genotype would be characteristic of a mulatto.
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I noted in my post that "dominant" might not be an appropriate term but the website uses the term, provisionally, because there is some basis for it. The results are virtually the same.

The odds of two of Jackson's children looking like they do are very slim.

Point to ponder: if, as EEM says Jackson's father had blue eyes, that almost certainly assures him having some white genetic within him. Assuming a mother is average white (say, equivalent to Hillary Clinton or Barbara Bush. or - here it gets dicey - Pocahontas or Indira Ghandi) how much white or black would a child be? May guesses? Enough to pass for white to the casual observer?
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My guess is that the chance that there would not be any hint of any racial characteristics for one child is very slim. Two?

Like you my guess is based on my own anecdotal experience. I'd like to see other examples. I've seen white children of non-white parents but they still had some characteristics.
 
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I just don't see the resemblance.

jacksont.jpg
 
GreNME said:
Heh.

Still, there is a distinct lack of resemblance to their alleged dad. A paternity test would be warranted.
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The two youngest maybe, the pics I've seen of the oldest boy do resemble a young Micheal, (Granted that means nothing as Tito could have stepped in to help lil bro out.) but in truth I have to agree. If it were just one kid he could just be like me (father's bone structure, mom's skin.) but 3 times in a row and little to no hint of the swirl? Naaaaah.
 
RandFan said:
I just don't see the resemblance.
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They have the same chin. I admit, I am a bit more sensitive to this kind of thing than some people.

My mother and father are of two different ethnic backgrounds. I have had many people assume that my father is no relation to me. However, if you were to look only at our facial structure, we definitely have the same chin.
 
Is it possible the older son has colored his hair? Or that his hair changed as he grew older?

He was a blond as a child, as can be briefly seen in this video-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTIcccBJVzE

Those are two beautiful kids, then and now. Both the dark haired girl and the blond/dark haired boy- lovely.

So cute.
 
Hokulele said:
They have the same chin. I admit, I am a bit more sensitive to this kind of thing than some people.

My mother and father are of two different ethnic backgrounds. I have had many people assume that my father is no relation to me. However, if you were to look only at our facial structure, we definitely have the same chin.
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Please pick joke:
1.You should shave.

2. Family dinners must have been horrible.

3. How many time did you come home late and he said "WHHAAA HUUUU EELLLE AAAVEU UUUUUU NNNNNNNN?!?!??!"
 
I'm light-skinned with light brown hair and blue eyes, and my brother is dark-skinned with black hair and dark brown eyes. He's also 5" shorter than I am. You wouldn't think we were brothers at all from looking at us. Meanwhile, I've been told by some people when I introduce my step-brother that they can 'see the resemblance' and that we 'both look like our father'.
 
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