[tifo_gcs]

I feel that it has to be all nurture. Granted he has features slightly different from most other hobbits is more the mark of a hero, who always has to have some special feautres, than elvish qualities. I feel that in order to be considered Elvish, he's got to have an elvish ancestor, and I really don't think he does. (Can you imagine a 6-foot elfish-looking thing with hairy toes and a beer belly? ergh [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] )
As for his changing personality, I think a lot of it can be attributed to his posseision of a ring at time when the ring itself was waking. Regardless of the fact that he wasn't using it, he was the owner, so it held some influence over him. And he did spend a lot of time talking to elves and other foreigners.