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.
Because blue eye color is found almost exclusively in people of European descent, Eiberg's team speculates that the mutation traces back to the Neolithic expansion, when people in the Black Sea region migrated to northern Europe 6000 to 10,000 years ago.
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.
Scientists concluded that every blue-eyed person on the world today can trace their ancestry back to a single European who probably lived about 10,000 years ago in the Black Sea region and who first developed a specific mutation that accounts for the now widespread iris coloration.
Originally, all humans had brown eyes. Some 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, a genetic mutation affecting one gene turned off the ability to produce enough melanin to color eyes brown causing blue eyes. This mutation arose in the OCA2 gene, the main gene responsible for determining eye color.
Green is considered by some to be the actual rarest eye color in the world, though others would say it's been dethroned by red, violet, and grey eyes.
There are several ways people can have two different colored eyes. People can be born with heterochromia, or it can result from disease or injury. It's pretty rare for people to inherit mismatched eyes from their parents. But before diving into the details, we need to understand where eye color comes from.
Common ancestor had highly-specific 'switch' embedded in DNA
“From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor,” said Professor Eiberg. “They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA.
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.
22, 2020, 8:05 a.m. It turns out most Vikings weren't as fair-haired and blue-eyed as legend and pop culture have led people to believe. According to a new study on the DNA of over 400 Viking remains, most Vikings had dark hair and dark eyes.
Well, no. We cleared up that rumor about redheads going extinct; the same goes for blue eyes. While the trait is becoming more rare, it's unlikely it will disappear all together. Which is crazy when you consider that 10,000 years ago blue eyes didn't even exist.
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.
Advantages of Blue Eyes
A big advantage to blue eyes is that research shows they might be linked to a lower risk of developing cataracts. Cataracts are clouding of the eye's lens. According to some studies, blue eyes may have evolved because these individuals were able to cope better with seasonal affective disorders.
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.
Blue eyes are rare, making up just 8-10% of the world's population. Blue eyes are caused by a relative lack of melanin in the iris. Just like your skin and hair, how much melanin you have determines your eye color. All eyes are technically brown because melanin itself is brown.
Proof of green eyes apparently has been found in Siberia during the Bronze Age, some 4,000 years ago. So my best conjecture for you is a heavy northern European influence, but you might want to have one of those ancestry DNA tests to make sure.
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.
Babies whose heritage is dark-skinned are usually born with brown eyes, whereas Caucasian newborns tend to be born with blue or gray eyes. Since melanocytes respond to light, at birth a baby may have eyes that appear gray or blue mostly due to the lack of pigment and because he's been in a dark womb up until now.
We found that green is the most popular lens colour, with brown coming in a close second, despite it being one of the most common eye colours. Although blue and hazel are seen as the most attractive eye colours for men and women they are surprisingly the least popular.
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.
Blue eyes + blue eyes = 100% chance of blue eyes. Brown eyes + blue eyes = 50% chance of blue eyes, but only if the brown-eyed parent carries a blue-eyed gene. If not, the chance is 0% Brown eyes + brown eyes = 25%, but only if both parents carry the blue-eyed gene.
The pupil can change size with certain emotions, thus changing the iris color dispersion and the eye color. You've probably heard people say your eyes change color when you're angry, and that probably is true. Your eyes can also change color with age. They usually darken somewhat.
Permanent changes to eye color can be achieved through iris implant surgery, corneal pigmentation, and laser eye color change. Iris Implant Surgery is a procedure that inserts a prosthetic iris into the eye. It was originally developed to treat iris defects such as albinism and aniridia.
Australian cricketer Shane Warne had complete heterochromia: his left eye was green and right eye was blue. Professional baseball pitcher Max Scherzer has complete heterochromia: his right eye is blue and his left eye is brown.