So, does anybody else find it weird that neither Rand's patrilineal ancestors (nor his mother, as Andor's requisite training in the White Tower would have undoubtedly detected even the potential to learn) nor his descendants through Aviendha after the first über-channeler generation could channel? None of them have the inevitable ability, and in some cases (Coumin, Ladalin) it is specifically mentioned that they could not even have been trained.
Those two are way too far back in time to be meaningful. Don't forget in the AOL most Aiel with the ability joined the AS and were likely removed from the Aiel gene pool, though we don't know for sure If Aiel and AS ever married together.
In any case, it suggest the ability was initially rare and it could,have taken the Breaking and generations before it became more frequent among Aiel. It's perfectly possible Janduin had the latent ability but not the spark. All he needed was his two parents passing to him the recessive gene. It doesn't mean the ability has to go far back in his line. He didn't even needed that, both Tigraine and Janduin only needed to carry the gene for the ability as a recessive one, and Rand inherited the recessive pair and thus can channel.. Don't forget about hidden channelers. Tigraine's female line would likely have trained in the Tower and been found, but her paternal line, or her mother's paternal line, could hide many latent male channelers. Same for Janduin. He may have a WO not far in his ancestry or a latent male channeler. All that matters is that rand inherited the recessive genes from both side to,develop the ability. It means all his children from Aviendah and Elayne will be channelers as all the parents have a pair of recessive genes to pass and none has a dominant to block the ability. The ability can vanish in a blink in the next generation, all it takes is one parent having a pair of dominant or an heterogenous pair and passing the dominant.
Genetic channeling and the Rhuidean columns
24/04/2012 08:48:40 PM
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Re: Genetic channeling and the Rhuidean columns
24/04/2012 11:43:53 PM
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Re: Genetic channeling and the Rhuidean columns
25/04/2012 05:29:45 AM
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The hair...
25/04/2012 05:14:52 PM
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Yeah, that was bothering me too.
25/04/2012 07:12:31 PM
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Yup ... Suppose the Moridin body switch theory would explain the dark hair
26/04/2012 12:28:42 AM
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Re: Genetic channeling and the Rhuidean columns
25/04/2012 05:57:02 AM
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Yes, I wasn't claiming this was a plot hole or anything...
25/04/2012 06:06:53 AM
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Agreed that it is a rather strange twist and seems very sudden to happen within a generation
25/04/2012 11:15:09 AM
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Re: Agreed that it is a rather strange twist and seems very sudden to happen within a generation
25/04/2012 04:11:55 PM
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Well the Sharans seem to know as they breed channelers and kill the male offspring
26/04/2012 12:26:39 AM
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Re: Well the Sharans seem to know as they breed channelers and kill the male offspring
26/04/2012 01:42:19 AM
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I don't think the trait is that simple as the four box diagram with the peas in a bio textbook
26/04/2012 01:38:32 AM
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I don't think the trait is that simple as the four box diagram with the peas in a bio textbook
26/04/2012 01:39:05 AM
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Re: I don't think the trait is that simple as the four box diagram with the peas in a bio textbook
26/04/2012 02:17:17 AM
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True, but the odds of Channelers having children with the ability are vastly higher
26/04/2012 10:48:00 AM
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But in that very revelation, Nynaeve claims that "mother following daughter was rare"
27/04/2012 03:24:21 AM
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Re: I don't think the trait is that simple as the four box diagram with the peas in a bio textbook
26/04/2012 01:30:54 PM
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I believe there is a quote that the soul is only part of what determines the Channelers strength
27/04/2012 10:31:22 AM
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