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Superheroes are born out of diversity, with unique genetic traits that make them stand out of the crowd. Well, whether or not you've seen them, there are real-life superheroes that walk among us every day - don't believe us? Just check out the amazing genetic mutations list below. Everyone's parents probably told them they are special snowflakes at one point or another and that they are not like anyone else on the planet, which is true. Still, some people out there have even more extraordinary human genomes. Bored Panda has curated a list of people with rare genetic disorders that might make you do a double-take. From extra or missing digits to unique hair colorings and birthmarks, these people are walking gene pool anomalies. Scroll down below to check it out, and don't forget to upvote your favs!

#1

My Friends Newborn Baby Was Born With The Same Birthmark In Her Hair As Her Mother

My Friends Newborn Baby Was Born With The Same Birthmark In Her Hair As Her Mother

Most of us have a birthmark somewhere on our skin, but this mom and daughter share one on their head. This DNA mutation is called Poliosis and results in the absence of melanin on any hairy part of the body. This unique birthmark can be inherited, or be caused by an autoimmune destruction of the pigment cells at the base of the hair.

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#2

My Friend's Iris Is Split In Half

My Friend's Iris Is Split In Half

Those are some pretty colored contacts right? Nope, this person has heterochromia iridis, a genetic variation that manifests in multicolored eyes. The duel coloring is caused by an excess or lack of melanin resulting from genetics, disease or an injury. The perfect split you see in the image below is called sectoral heterochromia and occurs when there are two different colors in the same iris. There is a dominant color and then a splash of second one.

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#3

My Dad Has 6 Fingers On Each Hand. He Uses 2 Fingers To Flip Someone Off

My Dad Has 6 Fingers On Each Hand. He Uses 2 Fingers To Flip Someone Off

This man's thumbs are there and just would not bend at the knuckle, but are fully formed and can be moved at the base of the fingers. Polydactyly runs in his family, too. Both him and his son had 12 fingers and 12 toes, although his boy had surgery when he was young.

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KarmaQueen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They look normal, like nothing is odd. I was expecting to find some type of deformity, but that is not the case.

Agnes Jekyll
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

a couple of years ago, I read about a baby boy who had six fingers on each hand, and they were all so perfectly formed, it was not noticed for a few days. Doctors wonder what marvels he will be able to achieve

Christina Sersif
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I recall from taking genetics in school, this is actually a dominant trait

CCL_2018
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Polydactyly is also commonly associated with incest. It's quite common among Amish populations. We discussed it in my Genetics class in College

María Hermida
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think its incest but endogamy. The Amish are a closed, relatively small community, and after a few generations of marrying inside the community everybody is somehow related to everybody else. If there's a "defective" genetic trait, it quickly becomes dominant. The same happened in the European royal families with haemophilia. Inbreeding is never a good idea, genetically speaking.

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Jo Choto
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always think of what advantages you would have, like would he be an amazing piano player or guitarist? On the other hand, gloves would be a problem.

Kathleen Francis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The additional digits are surprisingly like the other fingers_ not little tags of tissue! So how does the Vulcan/Hebrew "Live long and Prosper" gesture work? Computer keyboards? Facinating-

John Backus
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our Maine C**n Cat is a Polydactyl, most of Hemingway's cats were Poly's .

David Paracka
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Have you tried playing the piano? Could be interesting! I'll bet your fingering techniques are on point!

LazyPanda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everytime im mad at someone,imma need this guy to flip that person off

NCC-1701
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve always wondered how it would feel having bones and muscles that someone else didn’t. I wonder if it feels like it doesn’t fit right.

Jennifer McCraw
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder how much it costs to get gloves made like that. I guess there's always mittens.

Kate Atkinson-Jones
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His thumbs don't work so I guess that makes it pretty difficult with a lot of things! Would rather have a useable thumb than an extra middle finger to be honest

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Shirley Heyn
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What does he do for the "Volcan mindmeld"??? I'm assuming it would be much more powerful...

Allison Wood
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Charlene Cason
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Both my daughter-in-law & my granddaughter were born with extra fingers & toes; but, in their cases, the 6th one was at the very end, i.e., tiny extra "pinky" fingers & toes. They both had these extra digits surgically removed when they were babies. In my daughter-in-law's family it is only females who have polydactalism. :-)

Liz Roman
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And my father passed that genetic trait to me as well! I had the surgery when I was pretty young but yup I'm polydactyly!

Liz Strevens
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My name in Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die...

Liz Strevens
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Liz Strevens
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My name in Inigi Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Lit
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More evidence for evolution. Fins of fish with any bones reduced to form the five digits of mammalian hand.

Molly Block
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

And he's not married because he can't button his shirt?? LOL

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#4

Ulnar Dimelia Or Mirror Hand Syndrome

Ulnar Dimelia Or Mirror Hand Syndrome

Ulnar dimelia is a congenital deformity where the thumb is absent, the ulna is duplicated, and there are seven or eight fingers in the hand. The human body condition is often referred to as "mirror hand syndrome.” It is so rare that less than 100 cases have been reported in medical literature.

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#5

My Brother-In-Law Got A Thumb From Each Parent

My Brother-In-Law Got A Thumb From Each Parent

Wether we like it or not we are all a combination of the genes our parents gave us. Each gene is a blueprint for our bodies and the ones from our parents contain information that informs everything from eye color to diseases to the characteristics of our thumbs.

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#6

My GF Was Born Without A Nail On A Finger. So Due To Popular Demand, We Put Google Eyes On It

My GF Was Born Without A Nail On A Finger. So Due To Popular Demand, We Put Google Eyes On It

Anonychia congenita is a genetic condition that can affect the fingernails and toenails. People with this abnormality are usually missing all of their nails but in some cases (hyponychia) only some fingernails or a partial nails are missing. Those affected by anonychia congenita do not have any other health conditions as a result of their condition.

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#7

My Son Was Born With Natural Elf Ears

My Son Was Born With Natural Elf Ears

Stahl's ear (also called Spock's ear for all the Star Trek fans out there) is an ear deformity that results in a pointy ear shape as well as an extra cartilage fold. This abnormality is the result of a misshapen cartilage and when found in the first weeks of an infant's life ear molding is a viable treatment.

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#8

I Was Born Ready For This

I Was Born Ready For This

Born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, this person claimed they used to wrestle and since it was required that opponents shake hands before the first period, it was a great way to throw people off.

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#9

I Have Only Four Fingers On My Left Hand, And Have And Index Finger Instead Of My Thumb

I Have Only Four Fingers On My Left Hand, And Have And Index Finger Instead Of My Thumb

Symbrachydactyly is a condition where babies are born with an underdeveloped hand which causes them to have small, or in the case of the person below, missing fingers. Hand malformations are often treated with orthotics, prosthetics, physical therapy or in some cases surgery.

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#10

I Was Born With A Scar On My Eye

I Was Born With A Scar On My Eye

No this photo wasn't edited, that person really has a scar on their eye, or in medical terms - macular pucker. Macular pucker is a scar tissue that formed in the eye's macula which is located in the retina. This part of the eye gives the eye sharp vision, so this condition can cause blurred and distorted vision. Macular puckers occur when the vitreous of the eye ( a gel-like substance on its interior) pulls away from the retina.

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varwenea
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So amazing, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone given the distorted vision.

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#11

My Boyfriend Has Freckles On Only Half Of His Face, I Think It's Cool

My Boyfriend Has Freckles On Only Half Of His Face, I Think It's Cool

This guy's rare freckle pattern may seem like it's a one-of-a-kind rarity but he's not alone. Back in 2015, California woman, Samantha, went on The Doctors to ask them to explain when she had a freckle pattern that sharply went along only one side of her body. The answer- a very specific type of birthmark. "It's a very specific type of birth mark which started when you were an embryo," dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra told her. "And the pigment cells in your neural crest, some of them actually developed a mutation or a change and as the cells migrated over, it actually effects only half the body. 'That's why there's such a sharp cut off."

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earringnut
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can also get half a face of freckles from driving with the window down on a regular basis. Admittedly my way is less impressive.

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#12

My Son Has Symmetrical Hair Whorls Which Go In Opposite Directions. This Allows Him To Grow A Natural Mohawk

My Son Has Symmetrical Hair Whorls Which Go In Opposite Directions. This Allows Him To Grow A Natural Mohawk

This may look like a cool haircut but your barber might have a tough time replicating it. A hair whorl is a patch of hair that grows in a circular clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This hair abnormality has been studied by behaviorists to see if their is a genetic link between handedness and whirl direction, but nothing absolutely conclusive has been found.

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Petra
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My teenage son has these, too. :) Has a lot of "problems" with finding the right haircut.

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#13

My Left Eye Is About 1/3 Grey

My Left Eye Is About 1/3 Grey

This is a perfect example of sectoral heterochromia, a difference in coloration of the iris when only part of it has a different color from its remainder. It may be inherited, or caused by genetic mosaicism, chimerism, disease, or injury.

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Erika Drewke
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This whole post is making me realize how much I like different eyecolours! Its amazing to see so many different versions I have never seen before

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#14

Half Of The Eyelashes On My Right Eye Are White

Half Of The Eyelashes On My Right Eye Are White

When this person was 11, they woke up one morning to some of their eyelashes white. It happened overnight. Their mom thought they had bleached them somehow. It was only a very small section at first but it’s now over half of the eyelashes on this eye. It affects both top and bottom lashes, and they occasionally get one or two white hairs in their eyebrow. It’s a condition called Vitiligo and it occurs when your immune system is weak in a specific area, causing the color pigmentation to ‘drain’ out of the skin, or in their case, eyelashes.

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#15

My Wife Discovered That She And My Sister Both Have Syndactyly Connected Toes. They Celebrated Their Similar Trait With New Tattoos

My Wife Discovered That She And My Sister Both Have Syndactyly Connected Toes. They Celebrated Their Similar Trait With New Tattoos

Scientifically, this condition is known as syndactyly, but it's commonly referred to as webbed toes, even though it applies to both fingers and toes. Common in the animal kingdom, this condition is rarer among humans. Statistically there's one baby with webbed toes in 2000-2500 births. So syndactyly is not extremely rare and even Ashton Kutcher has it.

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#16

My Dad's Index Tip Was Cut Off When He Was 10, My Index Is Shorter Than My Pinky

My Dad's Index Tip Was Cut Off When He Was 10, My Index Is Shorter Than My Pinky

This case would require more scientific study. According to research as of now acquired characteristics are non-heritable characteristics of a living creature and that includes injuries and accidents. One possible explanation for this short index finger? a hand abnormality.

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Felix Feline
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is a primitive belief that acquired characteristics can be inherited and has been refuted time and time again since the 1800s. The Soviets studied it for decades (Lamarckism/Lysenkoism) and found nothing. A recent study suggests that some things, like immunity to a virus, may be inheritable in worms via RNA rather than DNA.

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#17

My Kid Has One Streak Of Very Dark Hair

My Kid Has One Streak Of Very Dark Hair

When you have a blonde streak or a white streak because of a localized decrease of melanin it's called poliosis. However, there is no certain name for when the area has increased melanin. Some people are calling this a "birthmark" and other's are saying it's probably just a discoloration in the hair and that it will eventually even out.

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#18

I Have Tentacles Under My Tongue- Apparently Not Everyone Does?

I Have Tentacles Under My Tongue- Apparently Not Everyone Does?

No this is not an elaborate Halloween prosthetic, these are what are called fimbriated folds of the tongue or plica frimbriata. The tentacle-like flaps occur when the folds that go alongside the frenulum (the tissue that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth) have small growths or skin tags on them. They are harmless but have the potential to get stuck in your teeth.

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Kjorn
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is what happen when your mom make out with a dragon

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#19

A Friend Of Mine Can Grab Things Backwards

A Friend Of Mine Can Grab Things Backwards

Often referred to as "double jointed" people who can move their joints beyond its normal range have what are called hypermobility. This is more common among children (10% to 15%) and usually decreases with age, as approximately 5% of adults have this ability. There are multiple causes of hypermobility including: altered bone shapes, stretched ligaments, muscle tone or stiffness and proprioception (sense of movement).

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Laugh Fan
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't fully straighten my hands, so this makes me incredibly jealous!!

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#20

I Was Born With 6 Toes On My Left Foot And My Co-Worker Was Born With 4 Toes On Her Right Foot

I Was Born With 6 Toes On My Left Foot And My Co-Worker Was Born With 4 Toes On Her Right Foot

Six toes is a very common birth defect called Hexadactyly, which literally translates to six digits. This condition usually manifests as an extra finger or toe on the side of the toes or in between. Extra digits are usually harmless and can be removed easily but in other cases can be the side effect of a more serious condition.

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Nini Meow
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My friend has the same problem of an extra toe finger.. so she buys same shoes of different sizes and wears them accordingly...

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#21

I Was Born Missing My Right Pinky And Thumb

I Was Born Missing My Right Pinky And Thumb

Out of all the babies born 10% are born with malformations of the hand. These congenital defects occur early in pregnancy and are sometimes inherited or a symptom of another condition. The person in this photo has a cleft hand (also called ectrodactyly or split hand) which occurs when the middle part of the hand develops abnormally. Babies with this condition are born missing one or more central fingers on the hand. There are two types of cleft hands: typical (V-shaped and usually missing or partially missing middle fingers); and atypical (U-shaped and usually involves only one hand). 

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#22

Five Fingers, No Thumb

Five Fingers, No Thumb

The person in the photo above has all five functioning fingers except for one peculiarity - there's no thumb on the hand. This malformation is referred to as triphalangeal thumb where the thumb has three phalanges instead of two. It can be treated with reconstructive surgery by reshaping the finger so that it would operate like a thumb. It is estimated that approximately one in 25,000 children is born with the condition.

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Cactus McCoy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

:generic glove comment no. 4: Interesting how many hand anomalities(?) there seem to be

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#23

I Was Born Without A Bridge In My Nose

I Was Born Without A Bridge In My Nose

Nasal bridge is a saddle-shaped area that includes the nasal root and the lateral aspects of the nose. It appears that the person has a so-called depressed nasal bridge, which can occur due to various conditions. The most commonly encountered congenital syndromes with a depressed nasal bridge in the pediatric orthopaedic practice are cleidocranial dysplasia, children with neurodevelopmental delay, achondroplasia, Conradi-Hünermann-Happle syndrome, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta and Klippel-Feil syndrome. Interestingly enough, this unique feature has its perks - the person who posted the photo said that his nose never bleeds.

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Hello it Smee
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dose that mean he can't break his nose? Dose it affect his breathing? So many questions, it is very interesting.

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#24

I Was Born With A Condition Where My Right Thumb Is Unable To Bend

I Was Born With A Condition Where My Right Thumb Is Unable To Bend

Trigger finger is a condition that is found in one or more tendons of the hand. The tendon that allows the thumb to flex is too swollen and locks. Eventually the the thumb completely locks and is unable to bend at all. This condition is present in 3.3 per 1000 live births.

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#25

My Daughter Was Born With A Perfect Number 2 On Her Head

My Daughter Was Born With A Perfect Number 2 On Her Head

Bizarre birthmarks open the doors to myths, legends and folklore. In some cultures, it's believed that birthmarks represent your past life, in others - that gods have marked the baby as the chosen one to accomplish colossal deeds. In this case, as the parents of this baby joked, it's their first kid, so the number 2 might represent that the baby was supposed to have a twin, which she ate.

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#26

Abnormally Pruney Fingers?? Every Time I Go Swimming With Anyone My Hands Are Always 10x More Wrinkly Than Anyone Else’s

Abnormally Pruney Fingers?? Every Time I Go Swimming With Anyone My Hands Are Always 10x More Wrinkly Than Anyone Else’s

Pruney fingers occur when the nervous system sends a message to the blood vessels to become narrower. Scientists argue why our fingers tend to prune in water. It’s hypothesized that, as gatherers, it was easier to pick vegetation from wet environments and the wrinkling of our toes prevented us from slipping. So maybe this person has an ancestry with a greater expression of this trait.

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#27

My Little Finger Is My Biggest Finger

My Little Finger Is My Biggest Finger

What does it mean when your "little finger" is larger than the rest? Macrodactyly is a rare condition that causes an individual to have one or more fingers or toes that are much larger than the others. The exact cause is unknown but some believe is comes from an abnormal nerve or blood supply.

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nanashi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it kinda seems it was supposed to be two pinkys but they didn't get to separate properly

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#28

I Can See The Internal Bruising In My Finger When I Hold My Hand Up To The Light

I Can See The Internal Bruising In My Finger When I Hold My Hand Up To The Light

This picture is interesting even despite the internal bruising in the finger. After it was posted on reddit, a lot of people were asking why the hell they can't see any finger bones. It is because of how much the skin and flesh diffuse the light. Think of it as looking through a pane of frosted glass, times a thousand.

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#29

Here Is An Example Of Ryder’s Polydactyly

Here Is An Example Of Ryder’s Polydactyly

Polydactyly is the condition that causes a person to be born with extra digits on their feet or hands. Ryder was actually born with 12 fingers and 12 toes.

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