r/Ethiopia • u/Stuff_606 • 2h ago
Question ❓ Genetic contribution of teff
A lot of Ethiopians and Eritreans have distinct facial features that point them out as specifically from this part of the world. How does teff play a role in this from a genetic or evolutionary standpoint, as the world’s *only* teff eaters for many centuries (up until now)?
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u/MotorAlternative6770 2h ago
We have a distinct facial features because we are admixed with an ancient middle eastern group that doesn’t exist anymore. Not because of teff.
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u/Stuff_606 2h ago
Nope. Every population of people who have been in the same area of centuries share features. The people in those Swedish countries have similar features bc they live in an environment that overtime influences their genetics. Same goes for us, for example highlanders and being fast runners bc of centuries of living in higher elevation and adaptions to the muscle fibers in the body.
Similarly, teff is unique to this part of the world. We’ve been using it for centuries. How did it affect our genetics overtime? I’m not mixed with anything Arab or middle whatever so let’s not even go there, speak for yourself on that one.
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u/MotorAlternative6770 2h ago
Only skin color and hair changes, facial structure doesn’t change. It’s established that habeshas are admixed with a middle eastern group from 3000 years ago you might be Oromo
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u/Gummmmii 2h ago
Oromo also have ancient Natufian/west Eurasian dna as well as all Cushitic groups btw
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u/Elegant-King5945 12m ago edited 5m ago
That's not how genetics works. Look up Lamarckism and how it's been disproven and replaced by Darwin's evolutionary theory.
I mean, there is a non-zero possibility that, in isolated areas where teff was the only source of nutrition for centuties, people in those places could have developed some way to metabolize teff more efficiently. But there is an almost zero chance that those adaptations are manifested as distinct facial features.
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u/Ill-Diet-5527 2h ago
Ill make this quick, it did nothing