Genetic mutation makes brown eyes blue

// added January 31, 2008 // 4 comments //
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People with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor, according to new research.

A team of scientists has tracked down a genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. The mutation occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, so before then, there were no blue eyes.
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4 comments // Genetic mutation makes brown eyes blue

  • jade_azul16
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      jade_azul16  

    • Melanin switch
      The mutation is what regulates the OCA2 switch for melanin production. And depending on the amount of melanin in the iris, a person can end up with eye color ranging from brown to green. Brown-eyed individuals have considerable individual variation in the area of their DNA that controls melanin production. But they found that blue-eyed individuals only have a small degree of variation in the amount of melanin in their eyes.

      "Out of 800 persons we have only found one person which didn't fit — but his eye color was blue with a single brown spot," Eiberg told LiveScience, referring to the finding that blue-eyed individuals all had the same sequence of DNA linked with melanin production

    • 1 year ago
  • KasiaC
  • ILiveonaClock
  • Swiyyah
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