Does the country you're born in shape the way you look or is it jsut genetics?

Question

I heard some where, that the country's enviornment you were born in shapes the way you look physcially. This holds true for me because I wasen't born in my orginal country I'm from instead I was born in the Persian gulf and I have lighter skin than my relatives and my features are diffirent as well. Why is that?

Answer 1

There can be differences, based on environmental factors, within the limits set by your genetic component.

To take an example, height in many European countries and Asian countries has increased in the last 50-60 years. This is due to better nutrition. However, better nutrition will not make you a 7-footer, if you don't have the genes to grow to seven feet tall. On the other hand, had Yeo Ming lived as a peasant in early 20th China, he would not have been 7' 6". He might have been tall (or dead if he could not get enough food to sustain his metabolism) but not as tall as he did get.

To use your example, your relatives must live somewhere where they get more sun--whether for climatic reasons, or because they are out in the sun longer than you.

Also, differences in diet can change some facial feature. Inuit populations develop overbites from Western diets, where they did not have overbites in previous generation.

Other examples may be found, I'm sure.

Answer 2

I have seen people on the other side of the world that look just like friends.