How Rare Are These Physical Traits?
As children, we’re all told how special and unique we are. No one is like us! As adults, you may laugh at how naive you used to be, but we’re here to prove that you’re actually one of a kind. With all of the different traits that result from both our genetics and our environment, literally, no one else has the same DNA, abilities, and combination of features as you. Who knew that green eyes were so rare and that cleft chins are much more common than you think? There’s a lot to learn about these uncommon genetic traits we’ve included in our list. We bet you haven’t heard of at least half of them!
Do you have any of these rare traits?
Waardenburg Syndrome: 1 in 40,000
People usually name their eyes as their favorite feature. Eyes are what connect us to other people and allow us to understand their emotions without them having to speak. And when someone has spectacular eyes, it makes them even more memorable. One of the most stunning features out there is having a unique eye shape, and people with this condition certainly do!
Waardenburg syndrome affects just 1 in 40,000 people, and you’ll recognize them when you see them. People with this trait have unique wide-set eyes that could stop traffic. This trait does come with a downside as people with Waardenburg syndrome are often also deaf.
Green Eyes: 1 in 50
We all know that green eyes are a unique and beautiful trait that very few of us have – 2% of the world’s population, to be exact. Lucky for them, many people say that green eyes are the most attractive color. But what makes green eyes such a rare trait? It all has to do with genetics. Eye color is inherited, but it also has to do with the luck of the draw.
For instance, someone who has parents with blue and hazel eyes could have blue eyes, hazel eyes, or even brown eyes. Melanin plays a role in the eye color you have, which is why green is the rarest. People with green eyes have less melanin than those with brown eyes but more than those with blue ones.
Creating Your Lucky Clover Tongue: 1 in 7
This is an opportunity to feel special if you think your life is beyond average. Know how to roll your tongue? That’s old news. But do you know how to form your tongue into a clover shape? We might as well call you gifted. Only about 14% of the population can pull off this trick.
Being able to turn your tongue into a clover isn’t some genetic irregularity, though. It’s actually a skill that you can teach yourself and one that is more common among people who speak certain languages. If your language has the most tongue movements, you’ll have the toolbox to easily learn how you can form the cool clover shape.
Albinism: 1 in 3,000
Albinism is a genetic disorder that most of us are familiar with because the results are generally visible. Most people with albinism have pale skin, eyes, and hair because they have so little melanin in their bodies. In the US, albinism is much rarer than in other parts of the world, affecting 1 in 20,000 people. Globally, 1 in every 3000 people has albinism.
There are different kinds of albinism, too! The most common time is Oculocutaneous, which means your hair, eyes, and skin are very pale. Ocular albinism happens only on your eyes, making them look red or pink. While stunning, Ocular albinism can cause vision problems.
Outie Belly Button: 1 in 10
It’s a classic question: innie or outie? Bellybuttons are that cute body part that we love to show off. It also has the cutest name of all our physical traits. All of our belly buttons are unique, just like us. But some are more common than others. Most of us share the classic innie belly button.
You know, the little hole that likes to collect lint. But about 10% of the population have the outie belly button. The way your belly button looks is pretty random, as it’s just a result of how your skin grows after birth. Are you part of that 10% minority? Let us know in the comments!
Plica Fimbriata, Tentacles under the tongue: 1 in 10
Remember when you were in class and everyone stuck out their tongues to see who would roll it? Some people could reach their noses with the tip of their tongues. As adults, there’s no better party trick than tying the knot of a cherry with your tongue. And there’s yet another cool feature you’d be lucky to have. It’s a condition called Plica Fimbriata, and it’s a little more common than you’d think.
10% of people have this condition in which the mucus membranes under your tongue form a noticeable layer with pretty interesting shapes. One of the coolest forms they take can make it look like you have little tentacles under your tongue.
Red Hair: 1 in 50
There are a few features that will make you stand out in any crowd. One trait that draws attention like no other is red hair. Pull your ginger locks out of your ponytail and you’ll get comments all day about how much people love your hair. And it’s pretty rare to have red hair. It’s a trait you’d share with only 2% of the global population.
Red hair is caused by, you guessed it, genetics. The MC1R gene is a recessive gene that’s responsible for the red color we know and love. Even if one parent has the MC1R gene, its recessive nature means that you’ll end up a brunette with a dominant brown-haired gene from the other parent.
Heterochromia: Less than 1 in 100
It’s fun to change up our appearance, that’s why so many of us experiment with hair color, different clothes, and drastic haircuts. In recent years, you can even change up the color of your eyes with context. Your light gray eyes can become an enticing dark brown, while your soft hazel peepers can transform into a piercing green.
Some people are especially lucky because they get to experience having two beautiful eye colors 24/7! Heterochromia is a condition that causes one person to have two different colored irises. For instance, one eye would be bright blue and the other can be a golden brown. You can be born with this trait or develop it after birth!
Syndactyly: 1 in 2,000
Here’s a trait that you might have: Syndactyly. Sound familiar? What about this: Webbed toes? Having webbed toes or fingers is much more common than you’d think: One in every 2,000 to 3,000 babies are born with webbed toes. Doctors typically correct webbed toes at a young age so you don’t experience issues later on. But what exactly causes Syndactyly?
It all comes down to the development in the womb. During the sixth to eighth week of the pregnancy, the infants’ toes and fingers should separate. If this doesn’t happen, then the baby will be born with webbed digits. And yes, we have trouble pronouncing Syndactyly correctly, too!
Hyperflexibility: 1 in 5
Are your joints so flexible that you can bend your thumb all the way back to your wrist, or push back the top of your hand flat so it’s parallel to the ground? Congrats, not only do you have a creepy and captivating party trick but you also have a trait called hyper-mobility, aka being double-jointed. Surprised to see it on this list?
Being double-jointed means you’re like 20% of the population. The explanation for this trait is simple. Collagen is the main protein in your connective tissue, this hereditary trait happens due to a variation in the amount of collagen your body has. And if you’re a woman, this variation is even more likely.
Mirror Hand Syndrome: Less Than 1 in 1 Million
When you think of “mirror hand syndrome” what comes to mind? Ulnar dimelia, the scientific name for this congenital deformity, is a condition that’s so rare that less than 100 cases have been reported ever. People with this trait have hands that literally mirror themselves. There’s no thumb, but there are seven or eight fingers in the hand.
At the base of the hand/wrist, the ulna is duplicated. A few fingers come out from each part of the base of the hand, making it seem like the hand is one image that’s been split into two. All of the digits are functional, but we’re curious to see what fingers they use for texting.
Cleft Chin: 1 in 4
What do Sandra Bullock, John Travolta, Vanessa Hudgens, Matt LeBlanc, Christina Hendriks, and Ashton Kutcher all have in common (other than being gorgeous people who are at the top of our celebrity crush list)? Answer: they all have cleft chins. The y-shaped dimple that forms the cleft chin automatically makes your face look more unique.
We like to call it the tuxedo of facial features. About 25% of people walk around with this hereditary trait, which means you’ve probably met at least one person with the feature. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for it, a cleft chin is a truly classy trait!
Preauricular Pit: 1 in 1,000
Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Remember when you went through your rebellious high school phase and wanted to get some edgy new ear piercings? “Be careful,” your mom warned you, “you’ll have holes in your ears forever.” Little did she know that some people actually have a little permanent hole in their ear that has nothing to do with piercings!
It’s a genetic trait that’s formally referred to as a preauricular pit, and it affects only 0.1% to 0.9% of the population. All it is is a small hole located on your ear, typically on the upper inner edge.
Extra Row Of Eyelashes: 1 in 20,000
There’s nothing that many of us wouldn’t give to have longer, thicker eyelashes. It’s become the norm to include eyelash extensions in our beauty routine, while others swear that tints and lash lifts transform their entire face. The bottom line is you can still have beautiful lashes if you don’t have a lot to work with naturally.
You may be jealous to hear that some people born with the perfect row of lashes, and even fewer are walking around with two. Less than 1 in 20,000 people have two rows of eyelashes. The second row may not be a complete set, and the hair may be thinner than the first row, but we still think it can’t hurt to have more lashes framing your eyes.
Palmaris Longus: 1 in 7
Here’s a job for you: feel around for all the different parts of your forearm. There are the flexor muscles, carpi ulnaris and carpi radialis. Apparently, there should also be another muscle called the palmaris longus. It’s there to help your wrist flex, although it’s a pretty weak form of support if we’re being honest.
Anyway, what makes this muscle interesting is how much it varies per person. First off, it’s absent from most people. The lowest absence of the palmaris longus was found in Zimbabwe, while the highest was found in Turkey. Do you have this muscle in your forearm? Maybe you’re also unique!
Marfan Syndrome: 1 in 5,000 people
We bet you haven’t heard the name of this fairly common genetic condition: Marfan syndrome. It affects the connective tissue of one in five people, making their limbs look especially long and lanky, as well as giving them an especially tall and slender figure. People with Marfan syndrome usually also have nearsightedness and flat feet.
This condition happens when there’s a mutation in the FBN1, and the body struggles to create the proteins we need for our connective tissue. What’s even more fascinating is that 25% of people with Marfan syndrome have it for no apparent reason. Actor Javier Botet famously has this trait, it even got him a role in a few movies!
Raynaud’s Syndrome: 1 in 5
Our body is usually good at revealing when something is wrong, especially in our extremities. When you’re dealing with the unbearable cold in the dead of winter, you may have experienced your fingertips turning blue from lack of blood flow. Too much heat, and your hands may turn bright red. There’s actually a condition that takes your body’s communication to the next level, and it’s called Raynaud’s Syndrome.
Say that you’re holding on to a carton of ice cream that’s straight from the freezer. The cold ice is literally melting on your hands. People with Raynaud’s Syndrome will feel this cold, and their fingers will turn white due to decreased blood flow. This phenomenon affects 20% of the population.
Hypertrichosis: 1 in 340,000,000
Dealing with body hair can be a struggle. If you shave your legs, you know firsthand how frustrating it is to spend 20 minutes getting every single spot, only for a fresh layer of hair to be there a few days later. Forget about dealing with your armpits, bikini line, and even the tops of your toes. Excessive hair growth is a real condition that affects 5% to 10% of women, but there’s another condition that’s even more severe.
Hirsutism (excessive hair grown in women) happens only in androgen-dependent areas like your chest and chin, but hypertrichosis causes excessive growth ANYWHERE on the body. We’re talking over your entire face, your shoulders, you name it. There have been less than 50 cases worldwide but they’re nothing short of noteworthy.
Heterochromia Iridum: 1 in 100
Heterochromia, the condition where you have eyes of two different colors, is one of the rarest eye traits that exists. But there’s an even less common variation known as Heterochromia Iridum (also known as segmental iridium). With this condition, different parts of an iris are different colors, because melanin isn’t distributed evenly.
For instance, someone with this condition may have an iris that’s half brown and half blue. The other eye may be blue, brown, or another color altogether. While other conditions or diseases may be responsible for this condition, it’s usually harmless. Your vision is not affected, but one eye may be more sensitive.
Uncombable Hair Syndrome: 1 in 1,000,000
Think about the worst hair day of your life. You tried everything: taking a shower, blow drying it, adding gel, spraying hairspray, brushing it again, and using your fingers to comb through it. But no matter what you try you can’t seem to make it look the way you want. Time to throw on a hat or put it up in a ponytail.
But you have it easy compared to the people who suffer from Uncombable Hair Syndrome. Though there have been less than 100 cases diagnosed, this is a very real and very difficult condition to manage. Your hair is genuinely so frizzy that you cannot run a comb through any of it.
Vitiligo: 1 in 200
You likely have heard of Vitiligo, the unique genetic condition that affects 0.5% to 1% of the population. It’s caused by the lack of melanin pigment. Although we usually see Vitiligo more easily in people with darker skin, it affects all races equally. What’s even more interesting is that some people may have this condition without anyone else notice.
That’s because there are multiple types of Vitiligo: unilateral and generalized. Most people who have Vitiligo have the generalized form, which means that discolored patches appear throughout their body. But some people will only have just one area or even a small patch with discoloration that most people will never even notice!
Chimerism: 1 in 50
The reproductive process is pretty unbelievable. The fact that a few cells can turn into a full human being inside a womb is incredible when you think about it. When twins get involved, the sorcery continues. Now TWO people are growing in a place that’s comfortably designed to fit one. It gets even crazier when you think of how twins interact with each other in the womb.
Many twins are conceived and born unscathed, but sometimes only one survives. Chimerism is a condition that happens in 10% of twin pregnancies in which one twin absorbs the other twin’s DNA in the womb and then displays that DNA on their body.
Cleft Uvula: 1 in 50
Look in the back of your throat. See that little thing hanging there in the center? That’s your uvula. We all have one, but 2% of us have very special uvulas. These people have what is medically referred to as a bifid or cleft uvula, meaning that it is split in half. If the split is symmetrical, it almost looks like a tiny mermaid tail.
But a bifid uvula can take many shapes and forms. The split doesn’t have to be symmetrical, so one side could be much larger than the other. It could also be a sign of a cleft palate, which means that the roof of the mouth didn’t form properly. Rest assured doctors will examine babies for this after birth.
Polydactyly: 1 in 500
Sometimes it feels like two hands just aren’t enough. Whether you’re trying to load up the car before heading to the airport or carrying all of your groceries in just one trip, it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of extra carrying capacity. It doesn’t look like there’s any genetic possibility that we’ll have more than two hands anytime soon, but we have the next best thing.
We’re talking about your fingers. 1 in 1,000 people are born with a condition that gives them an extra finger, but usually only on one hand. In some babies, it’s an extra little finger, while others get the benefit of an additional thumb!
Wisdom Teeth: 1 in 3
If you had your wisdom teeth removed, we know you can remember the feeling of your entire face swelling up and not being able to down solid food for two weeks. There was bruising everywhere, and points when you wondered if your life would ever be the same again. Ok, we’re being a bit dramatic, but wisdom teeth removal is brutal.
Have all four been removed at the same time? Ouch. But what’s even worse is that some people never have to get their wisdom teeth out because they never grow in the first place! And by some people, we mean 35% of the population. The other 65% of us are just unlucky.
Stahl’s Ear: 1 in 6,000
Everyone remembers how cute little Dobby is from Harry Potter. His big golf ball eyes and pointy elf ears are just a few features that make the house elf such a lovable creature. Standing next to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, Dobby looked nothing like the three wizards. But while we don’t have Hogwarts or magical abilities in real life, we do have something reminiscent of an elf-like species.
About 2% to 4% of the population have what we call “elf ears,” meaning that they’re pointy on the outside. The formal term for this unique genetic trait is Stahl’s ear, and it’s caused by the irregular folding of skin and cartilage that forms a pointed look.
Hutchinson-Gilford aka Benjamin Button Syndrome: 1 in 4 Million
If you’ve seen the movie or heard of the story “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” you’d be familiar with what has been dubbed Benjamin Button Disease. Medically referred to as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, HGPS is a genetic condition that causes a child to age quickly. Globally, only 1 in 4 million babies are born with it.
HGPS can be traced back to a mistake in the LMNA gene. When the LMNA gene has a mutation, it makes an abnormal form of the protein that holds together cells. Without the proper formation of this protein, rapid aging occurs. This mutation isn’t an inherited trait, it’s completely random.
Ectrodactyly: 1 in 90,000
Time to introduce one of the rarest traits on the list: Ectrodactyly. It’s more commonly known as split hand/foot malformation, and it occurs in 1 out of 90,000 people. People with this trait usually are missing at least one of their fingers or toes, or have digits that have formed in an unusual shape. Most often, the middle fingers and toes are affected. It can happen simultaneously with syndactyly (webbed feet/hands).
If you’re unfamiliar with Ectrodactyly, you should know that it’s caused by mutations of TP63. This gene has instructions for protein formation to develop limbs properly. Mutations in TP63 mean that the body doesn’t get enough of this protein and limbs don’t form the way they’re meant to.
Clubfoot: 1 in 1,000
Many conditions that make life challenging often cannot be remedied or cured. Luckily, conditions like clubfoot can be treated as a baby so the child will grow up without complications. Clubfoot, a condition that happens between 0.6 and 1.5 times per 1000 births, and happens when a baby is born with a foot that’s not in the right position.
The sole of the foot is usually twisted upward and inward. This happens because the tendons in the foot aren’t long enough. Doctors typically treat clubfoot before babies learn to stand and walk so they can move normally. The best news is that treatment usually doesn’t require surgery!
Extra Ribs: 1 in 200
Ribs are undoubtedly an important part of our body. They give protection to our most important organs, give our boy support, and help us breathe. Throughout human evolution, our body has changed to give us the perfect number of ribs to perform all of our necessary functions. In total, we have 12 sets of ribs.
But Mother Nature likes to surprise us sometimes, and there are a few people out there who were born with a few ribs too many. This trait is referred to as having supernumerary ribs. These ribs, which occur in about 0.5% of the population, perform no additional function but may cause painful problems.