Europe has the widest variety of eye color, according to Custers, who adds those of European descent are the largest population of blue eyes. Europe was the epicenter of the blue-eye gene mutation. More than 80 percent of the inhabitants of Estonia and Scandinavian countries have blue eyes.
Scientists believe that it is possible to trace all blue-eyed people back to a common ancestor, who likely had a genetic mutation that reduced the amount of melanin in the iris. Most people with blue eyes are of European descent.
All Blue-Eyed People May Have A Common Ancestor
Originally we all had brown eyes, however, according to researchers at the University of Copenhagen, it appears that a genetic mutation in a single individual in Europe 6,000 to 10,000 years ago led to the development of blue eyes.
The Buton tribe is located exactly in the province of Southeastern Celebés (Sulawesi), and all its members have eyes of a deep blue, even more than any Nordic person. The contrast with their dark skin makes them stand out even more. One can see that their eyes are of a spectacular clear blue.
There are plenty of blue-eyed Asians. This probably happens when the traditional blue-eyed allele comes into a family from a (possibly very distant) European ancestor. Blue eyes then resurface in a child generations later if they inherit the allele from both parents.
blue eyes descend from a single genetic mutation means that every single person on the planet with blue eyes descended from one common ancestor. In fact, a team of geneticists at the University of Copenhagen actually traced that mutation all the way back to a single Danish family.
Blue eyes are considered rare. Approximately 8 to 10 percent of the world's population has blue eyes. The color blue is considered a genetic alteration, which may have occurred about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Before that point, it was believed that most people had brown eyes.
In 2006, researchers discovered a 7,000 year old body from the Stone Age in the La Brana cave system in Leon in Northern Spain (Image 4). Genetic testing determined that this man had blue eyes. It was not in itself unusual, but what is remarkable is that he is the earliest known person with blue eyes.
"Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Hans Eiberg, associate professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the university. "But a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a 'switch,' which literally turned off the ability to produce brown eyes."
World Atlas notes that only 8% to 10% of the global population has blue eyes. Violet eyes are even rarer, but they're a bit misleading; someone with “violet” irises is usually sporting a special shade of blue.
"In Australians of European ancestry, the percentage of eye colours are 45 percent blue-grey, 30 percent green-hazel and 25 percent brown. If you're considering non-European ancestry it is the almost completely brown eye colour."
The allele genes come in the form of brown, blue, or green, with brown being dominant, followed by green, and blue being the least dominant or what is called recessive. Given this information, you can determine what eye colors are dominant in the parents.
Blue eyes. This is the next most common eye color, encompassing about 10% of the population. While blue eyes are more sensitive to light during the day, people with blue eyes tend to see better at night – unless there are bright lights.
The most prevalent place to find people with blue eyes (and where those percentages are considerably higher) is in the Scandinavian region. Europe also has pocket where people with blue eyes can be more commonly found. While the color blue is beautiful in the eyes, it is also evidence of less melanin production.
Researchers have finally located the mutation that causes blue eyes, and the findings suggest that all blue-eyed humans share a single common ancestor born 6000 to 10,000 years ago. Researchers have implicated the OCA2 gene in several eye colors.
Several common variations (polymorphisms) in the OCA2 gene reduce the amount of functional P protein that is produced. Less P protein means that less melanin is present in the iris, leading to blue eyes instead of brown in people with a polymorphism in this gene.
New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. Scientists have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6,000-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye color of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today.
OSLO (Reuters) - Blue-eyed men prefer blue-eyed women, apparently because eye color can help reveal whether their partner has been faithful, researchers said on Monday.
Having blue eyes has its advantages. They lower your risk of developing cataracts, for instance. However, they might increase your risk of health problems like type 1 diabetes and eye cancer. Protecting your eyes and getting regular check ups is important no matter the color of your irises.
In most people, the answer is no. Eye color fully matures in infancy and remains the same for life. But in a small percentage of adults, eye color can naturally become either noticeably darker or lighter with age. What determines eye color is the pigment melanin.
Did the Romans have blue eyes? Ancient Romans were the same people as modern Italians carrying the same Haplogroups. Some ancient Romans and Greeks would have had blonde hair and blue eyes but not the majority, just like today. Some were, some weren't.
Likewise, two brown-eyed parents can have a child with blue eyes, although this is also uncommon.
Your children inherit their eye colors from you and your partner. It's a combination of mom and dad's eye colors – generally, the color is determined by this mix and whether the genes are dominant or recessive. Every child carries two copies of every gene – one comes from mom, and the other comes from dad.
A curious adult from California asks: Can two parents with blue eyes have a child with brown eyes? Yes, blue-eyed parents can definitely have a child with brown eyes. Or green or hazel eyes for that matter.