Do you have blue eyes? Science says you could be related to every other blue-eyed person on Earth

Eye color has long been idealized by poets and artists, who have incorporated it into tales woven around beauty and love. However, beyond appearances, studies reveal that eye color can also tell a lot about a person's health, and some even contend that it is related to personality traits. A majority of people on the planet have brown eyes, which makes them the most common. Meanwhile, according to research, people with blue eyes reportedly share specific personality features. It also makes them a unique group within the population.

According to a study, all the people with blue eyes share an ancient link dating back 6,000 to 10,000 years. As reported by Amplify Upworthy, their connection goes far beyond just eye color as they're more closely related than one might expect. Research conducted by the University of Copenhagen uncovered that a single genetic mutation is responsible for the existence of blue eyes in the world today. As reported by Tyla, Professor Hans Eiberg from the University of Copenhagen said, “Originally, we all had brown eyes. 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.”

This gene plays a crucial role in producing melanin, the pigment that gives color to our eyes, hair, and skin. The color of our eyes is primarily determined by how much melanin is present in the iris. The gene hasn’t been completely deactivated; but its activity has diminished, leading to a lighter eye color that eventually appears as a blueish iris. Dr. Gary Heiting, an optometrist, also explained that blue eyes don’t contain pigments of their own, but instead, their color is shaped by the amount of melanin present. The professor said, "From this, we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor. They have all inherited the same switch at the same spot in their DNA."

Eiberg clarified that the mutation isn't inherently positive or negative when asked for his opinion on the matter. As reported by Unilad, he said, "It simply shows that nature is constantly shuffling the human genome, creating a genetic cocktail of human chromosomes and trying out different changes as it does so." Moreover, only around 10% of people worldwide have blue eyes, and the majority of them are from Scandinavian countries. One may be surprised by who the first blue-eyed ancestors were and where they came from. Researchers have identified a location on the present-day Black Sea coast as the source of this genetic mutation.

As reported by the Daily Express, individuals with blue eyes can trace their roots to one of six present-day countries including Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Romania, or Bulgaria. Meanwhile, another intriguing aspect of eye color is the role of melanin. The levels of this pigment are so significant that many babies born with blue eyes may see a gradual change in hue as they grow. As melanin production ramps up over time, their eyes, once blue, may shift to deeper shades of green or brown.