Verywell Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. European Americans with recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry account for 16% of people with green eyes. doi:10.1016/j.heares.2014.12.002, Donnelly MP, Paschou P, Grigorenko E, et al. Photochromic lenses are another way to protect blue eyes from UV radiation. There are three types of Heterochromia: complete, sectoral, and central. 10 . Gray is the second-rarest natural eye color after green, with 3% of the world's population having it. [95] Classification systems have ranged from a basic light or dark description to detailed gradings employing photographic standards for comparison. Contact an eye doctor if you need medical attention. [18] Other genes implicated in eye color variation are SLC24A4[19] and TYR. If you see a dark outline around your iris -- the colored part of your eye -- this is your limbal ring. In fact, Hamilton should be proud to be part of an exclusive club: recent studies found that only one in six Americans now have blue eyes, down from roughly 50 percent at the beginning of the 20th . We all know those people whose eyes look nothing like their parents, but there was some cousin or ancestor in their family that they resemble much to. "[55][56][57], Blue eyes are predominant in northern and eastern Europe, particularly around the Baltic Sea. [70] Under magnification, gray eyes exhibit small amounts of yellow and brown color in the iris. If your current heating system yields cold hands and frozen toes it might be time to upgrade. Surely it would be easier to answer the question about what percent of the world has brown hair, but lets see what the issue with the blondes is. Hazel eyes are most common in North Africa, the Middle East, Brazil, and Spain. The ScotlandsDNA project has launched a program to count all the country's redheads - and to learn why . Especially, Intraocular Melanoma. Eye damage from UV and blue light appears to be related to your lifetime exposure to these rays, so wearing sunglasses that block 100% UV (and most blue light) should start during childhood, when possible. Quite a bit. Free shipping on all US orders! While researchers can't yet prove eye color indicates a hearing problem, they did find that those with lighter-colored eyes had more significant hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises. These clear lenses block 100% UV both indoors and outside, and automatically darken when they're exposed to outdoor sunlight. In the U.S., that proportion is higher, at about 27%. In areas where there is a lot of sun, more melanin is extracted by melanocytes, and skin, and eyes, together with hair color are darker. Blue eyes aren't actually blue. [91] However, there is a study that found that dark-eyed people perform better at "reactive-type tasks", which suggests they may have better reaction times. Blue eyes have almost no tint in the front layer of the iris. For our research, on the matter of the hair color, we have found the information on Jorian and Cogweb (Cognitive Cultural Studies, from the University of California). From 6-36 months, cells in the iris start producing melanin and the eye color will change. Dissection reveals that the iris pigment epithelium is brownish black due to the presence of melanin. Even though there is a high number of blond and blue-eyed people living in Britain today, the highest percentage of blue eyes is recorded in South East Scotland with 57%. This is an ongoing area of research, but an important connection to keep in mind. This means everyone with blue eyes has one thing in commonthey're all related. "From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor," said Eiberg. While eye color is not a defining characteristic of a person, it can be interesting to see how the distribution of different colors varies from place to place. In fact, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) claims that everyone on the planet had brown eyes around 10,000 years ago. Blue eyes are most common in northern and eastern Europe, particularly around the Baltic Sea. The most common eye color is dark brown in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Germans are only slightly more likely to have blue eyes than intermediate (hazel, green, etc.) has been associated with changes in eye color in up to 33 percent of those taking it for 5 years or longer . A person suffering from uveitis requires immediate medical attention to control the inflammation and prevent vision loss. An estimated 89 percent of Estonians have blue eyes. [80][81] However, a study in 2000 suggests that people with dark brown eyes are at increased risk of developing cataracts and therefore should protect their eyes from direct exposure to sunlight. Blue-eyed, fair-skinned settlers inhabited the Levant some 6,500 years ago, according to an international interdisciplinary team of scientists. Although most common eye color in Latvia that ranks 7th on our list oftop countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage ofpopulation, is blue and greyish-blue and hair blond, there is also a certain amount of population being grey-eyes and brown haired, whose roots can probably be traced to the ancient Livs, who have later been assimilated. Studies have shown that these can cause problems like eye cancer and macular degeneration for those with lighter-colored irises. Gray eyes can also be found among the Algerian Shawia people[69] of the Aurs Mountains in Northwest Africa, in the Middle East/West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia. Netherlands stands for the tallest country in the world and is also the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population. [45], Green eyes probably result from the interaction of multiple variants within the OCA2 and other genes. Whats the Difference Between Vitiligo and Albinism? The iris is the colored part of your eye that has multiple layers. Red Hair Is Thicker. or brown eyes. Around 17 per cent of people have blue eyes, and when combined with 1-2 per cent having red hair, the odds of having both traits are around 0.17 per cent. [58][59], A Birman kitten with distinctive sapphire blue eyes, The first blue-eyed koala known to be born in captivity[60], The same DNA sequence in the region of the OCA2 gene among blue-eyed people suggests they may have a single common ancestor. ", "Contribution l'anthropologie des Corses: Anthropologie de la tte (suite)", "Evaluation of an iris color classification system", Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, "Subspecies comparison of the Genus: Corucia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eye_color&oldid=1140743886. While it's a very rare type of cancer, people with blue eyes are at higher risk of developing ocular uveal melanoma. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. Blue eyes have been common across Europe since prehistoric times. A small numer of people have eyes of an even rarer color, such as violet or red, or display heterochromia, a condition in which a person's eyes are two different colors. Sitting sixth on this list, Denmark's population is 60 percent blue-eyed. According to medical science, people with light-colored eyes such as blue, green or grey have a higher risk of eye cancer. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, is serving as Zillow's health advisor. [73], Although the deep blue eyes of some people such as Elizabeth Taylor can appear purple or violet at certain times, "true" violet-colored eyes occur only due to albinism. This is why many babies are born with blue eyes, only to have their eye color change as their irises develop more melanin throughout early childhood. In fact, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) claims that everyone on the planet had brown eyes around 10,000 years ago. In Africa dark eyes, skin and hair are the norm, but blue eyes are more common in southern Europe and even more common in northern Europe, where 70 per cent of people have blue eyes. So, the more melanin you have, the darker your eyes appear. The mutation, A111T, is found most commonly in Ireland and all . [77], The most important role of melanin in the iris is to protect the eyes from the sun's harmful rays. Brown eyes result from a relatively high concentration of melanin in the stroma of the iris, which causes light of both shorter and longer wavelengths to be absorbed.[27]. The hazel eye color is primarily due to the combination of a decent amount of melanin and Rayleigh scattering. Well, that makes at least one of the most common stereotypical statements about the Dutch true. Most newborn babies who have European ancestry have light-colored eyes. All blue-eyed people have one ancestor in common, born around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Are Blue-Eyed People More Likely to Get Macular Degeneration? [26] Hazel eyes are more common in Spaniards, North Africa, the Middle East, and Brazil. Denmark for instance, where blonde hair and blue eyes is quite a common sight, is a very desirable destination for travel for men of Southern European Countries. An article released Monday in the peer-reviewed . The top layer, called the epithelium, is where the melanin (pigment) that gives an eye its color lives. The answer largely depends on where you live or where your ancestors came from. It's completely normal to see blue become brown, hazel, or even green as they get a little older. On average, they have 90,000 strands, while blondes . As we have noted, blonde hair and light eyes depend on the amount of melanin extracted. The AAO states that those with central heterochromia have iris with two differently colored rings, while those with complete heterochromia have one iris with a different color. But a survey of more than 25,000 people from 12 countries has . Such albinos have pink eyes, as do albino rabbits, mice, or any other animal with a total lack of melanin. or brown eyes. How older drivers can improve their driving at night, researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Schedule an appointment with a local eye doctor, How color contact lenses can make anyone's eyes blue. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye (the clear part of the eye that helps to focus light). So, if melanocytes extract just a little bit of melanin, babys eye color will remain light, but they usually produce much more of this protein, which causes darker eye colors. They look blue because of how light is reflected. Hearing Research. [46], Green eyes are most common in Northern, Western and Central Europe. The inheritance pattern followed by blue eyes was previously assumed to be a mendelian recessive trait, however, eye color inheritance is now recognized as a polygenic trait, meaning that it is controlled by the interactions of several genes. By Steve Asbell on 15 Jan 2019. In the US only 1 out of 6 people have a light (blue) eye colour. More than 80 percent of the inhabitants of Estonia and Scandinavian countries have blue eyes. A common cause in females with heterochromia is X-inactivation, which can result in a number of heterochromatic traits, such as calico cats. American Academy of Ophthalmology. If you inherit blue-eye genes from your parents, it means that your eyes will have less of a pigment called melanin in them. For example, instead of blue as in humans, autosomal recessive eye color in the skink species Corucia zebrata is black, and the autosomal dominant color is yellow-green. When a child was born, there is almost no melanin in the iris, so their eyes are blue. What Is the Origin of Blue Eyes in Black People? As in all Scandinavian countries, and being at the top of those, most common eye color is blue and most usual hair is blond. Blue-eyed humans have a single, common ancestor. The higher the melanin concentration in the iris, the darker the eye color will be. [13] To meet the need for standardized classification, at once simple yet detailed enough for research purposes, Seddon et al. In humans, the pigmentation of the iris varies from light brown to black, depending on the concentration of melanin in the iris pigment epithelium (located on the back of the iris), the melanin content within the iris stroma (located at the front of the iris), and the cellular density of the stroma. If there is enough or too much melanin, the eyes are brown and black. [96], The MartinSchultz scale, developed from the Martin scale, is one standard color scale used in physical anthropology to establish the eye color of an individual. Scientists believe that all blue-eyed people can be traced back to a common ancestor, who probably had a genetic mutation that reduced their melanin in the iris. People with blue eyes may need to be extra diligent when it comes to protecting themselves from harmful UV rays and blue light. Eye color may not remain constant throughout your life. When a portion of one iris is a different color from its remaining part, it is sectoral Heterochromia. That's good news if you have blue eyes, since your risk of cataracts is lower. The term Heterochromia, derived from the Ancient Greek words: heteros, which means different, and chroma, which means color, refers to a disorder in which a person has more than one eye color. This form of hearing loss comes from damage to the inner ear or to the nerve going from the ear to the brain. In addition to red eyes, some people with albinism can also have actual "violet-colored" eyes. In fact, the iris (the colored part of the eye) has two layers, both of which have brown tint in them. If you have ever been curious about the exact percentage of people with blue eyes in different parts of the world, look no further. A number of causes are responsible, including genetic, such as chimerism, Horner's syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome. [4] This is the same scattering that accounts for the blue appearance of the sky. As that generation had children and moved around, the blue eye mutation continued to spread across many parts of the globe. This is because - according to research - redheads are more sensitive to hot and cold pain. Black People With Blue Eyes. the admirers of blue eyes and fair hair were disgusted . One thing that truly sets people apart is their eye color. The content on this site is for informational purposes only. Ready? There is no blue pigmentation either in the iris or in the vitreous body. Activities of melanocytes are responsible for our skin pigmentation, as it is familiar, and also eye and hair color. Some eyes have a dark ring around the iris, called a limbal ring. They look blue because of how light is reflected. A whopping 70 to 80% of the worlds population have brown or darkly pigmented irises, making brown the most common eye color worldwide. Nothing to do with their mythical fiery temperament! Brown is the most common eye colour. Your genes determine whether you have blue eyes. [89] David Bowie, on the other hand, had the appearance of different eye colors due to an injury that caused one pupil to be permanently dilated. [12] A specific mutation within the HERC2 gene, a gene that regulates OCA2 expression, is partly responsible for blue eyes. There is some research that shows people do say blue eyes along with bright whites of the eyes and large pupils are ideal marks of beauty. "Originally, we all had brown eyes" said Eiberg. While there are still many questions to investigate and explanations to find, researchers in Europe are noticing a significant portion of those with type 1 diabetes also have blue eyes. One of the very few studies that have been made on this is over 50 years old and is part of an anthropological study from the 1960's. The study concluded that somewhere between 50 and 80 percent . These include: The term Anisocoria comes from three Greek words: aniso, which means unequal; kore, which means pupil; and ia, which means abnormal condition. Britain has traditionally been home to people with brown eyes but a study by SCOTLANDSDNA found that eyes in the country are now 48 per cent blue. Blue eyes actually didn't exist 10,000 years ago. [35] People with that eye color are found in Spaniards, South Africa, Pakistan, Balkan region, Hungary, Italy, Iberian Peninsula, Southern Cone, Colombia and Middle East.[36]. In Britain, for example, a 2014 study found that green was more prevalent than brown 30 percent to 22 percent although most were blue, 48 percent. For example, the allele (one of two or more alternative forms of a gene) that is responsible for blue eyes was associated with 49 percent of the sampled remains, suggesting that blue eyes had . Associated with differences between blue and green eyes. . Cylindrical cells are the photoreceptors of the eye that have a black and white vision and, depending on the amount of light received from the environment, determine the amount of darkness and brightness of objects. [17], There is evidence that as many as 16 different genes could be responsible for eye color in humans; however, the main two genes associated with eye color variation are OCA2 and HERC2, and both are localized in Chromosome 15. Blue eyes are also found in southern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa and West Asia. [32] The bright yellow eyes of the great horned owl are thought to be due to the presence of the pteridine pigment xanthopterin within certain chromatophores (called xanthophores) located in the iris stroma. The collagen is scatted by light to make the eyes look gray. In the US, 45% of people have brown eyes, while the rarest eye color is green only 9% of people in the US have green eyes. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens. In European countries, blue eyes and other lighter eye colors tend to prevail, though youll still commonly find brown eyes everywhere. [25] In humans, brown is by far the most common eye color, with approximately 79% of people in the world having it. [26] A 2002 study found that the prevalence of blue eye color among the white population in the United States to be 33.8% for those born from 1936 through 1951, compared with 57.4% for those born from 1899 through 1905. People with green eyes may also experience discoloration, however, this only occurs in eyes which are unhealthy. Rather than including a blue pigment, they actually just lack the pigment that makes eyes brown. [26] Woman From Denmark With Blue Eyes. Changes (lightening or darkening) of eye color during early childhood, puberty, pregnancy, and sometimes after serious trauma (like heterochromia) suggest that eyes sometimes change color under certain circumstances, due to chemical reactions or hormonal changes within the body. Since Norway is on the 3 rd place of the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population . [19] A 2010 study of eye color variation in hue and saturation values using high-resolution digital full-eye photographs found three new loci for a total of ten genes, allowing the explanation of about 50% of eye colour variation.[20]. Give Orange. Having blue eyes has its advantages. Redheads can change temperature quicker. 207,208 - (1968), Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:18, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Phenotypes and Genotypes for human eye colors. For blue-eyed people, this top layer lacks melanin. SEE RELATED: Is blue the rarest eye color? Is eye color determined by genetics? Green 2.0%. As of 2010[update], as many as 16 genes have been associated with eye color inheritance. [50] Among European Americans, green eyes are most common among those of recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry with about 16%. An iris that appears golden contains some melanin even at this early age and is likely to turn from blue to green or brown as the infant ages. Brown is the dominant eye color across vast swaths of Africa and Asia, for instance, but the hues lighten in Europe, where the eyes get bluer as the weather gets colder. Its been suggested that the cooler climate of northern Europe may have encouraged the rise of a population of people with lighter eyes, hair and skin. . As of 2010, researchers believe that as many as 16 different genes influence eye color in humans, and most of these genes play a crucial role in the production, transportation, and storage of melanin pigment. Eye color depends on how much of a pigment called melanin lives in the iris of the eye. Only 2% of the world's population have green eyes, making it the rarest eye color. Heterozygous Genotype: Traits and Diseases, Choosing the Best Sunglasses to Protect Your Eyes, hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises. "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.". Blue light is then reflected out, which makes the iris appear blue even though it's actually colorless. Furnace, Boiler or Heat Pump? About 5% of the worlds population and 18% of Americans have hazel eyes -- a mixture of green, gold, and orange. This would be analogous to the change in the color of the sky, from the blue given by the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by small gas molecules when the sky is clear, to the gray caused by Mie scattering of large water droplets when the sky is cloudy. Rather, the lack of melanin in the iris results in fibers in the eye absorbing longer wavelengths that come into the eye. Are contact lenses a good choice for kids? Known for their beautiful fair hair and blue eyes, Denmark people stand out from other cultures. Blue eyes are more concentrated in certain regions than others. [4][34] Hazel eyes often appear to shift in color from a brown to a green. 8. Icelandic people demonstrate a strong national pride in preserving their culture. : 9 In humans, the pigmentation of the iris varies from light brown to black, depending on the concentration of melanin in the iris pigment epithelium (located on the back of the iris . An iris with little melanin appears blue, while those with more little melanin appear green or hazel. Amber eyes may also contain amounts of very light gold-ish gray. Eiberg studied the DNA of 800 men and women with blue eyes from varying countries ranging from "fair-skinned, blond-haired Scandinavians to dark-skinned, blue-eyed people living in Turkey and . It was created by the anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz in the first half of the 20th century. Your pupil is the small black opening in the center. As the child develops, melanocytes (cells found within the iris of human eyes, as well as skin and hair follicles) slowly begin to produce melanin. The website WorldAtlas.com takes a stab at estimating the breakdown of eye colors worldwide. However, approximately 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, the blue-eyed gene mutation spread. It is darkest when we are at our healthiest and naturally fades . Why do some people have light blue eyes and others have dark blue? Hum Genet. For just about everyone, the back layer of each eye is brown. The color of our eyes depends on how much melanin is present in the iris. Gray eyes are common in parts of Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and among the Algerian Shawia people in Northwest Africa. Anisocoria thus refers to an abnormal condition characterized by different pupil sizes. Provincia: bulletin trimestriel de la Socit de Statistique http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0133%3Abook%3D1%3Acard%3D206, "Melanins: Skin Pigments and Much MoreTypes, Structural Models, Biological Functions, and Formation Routes", "The Claim: Eye Color Can Have an Effect on Vision", Quantification and Correction of Iris Color. As far as researchers can tell, this was the first person with blue eyes, and everyone who has blue eyes today is a (very) distant relative of this ancient human. Comments. Redheads have fewer strands of hair on their heads. Are contact lenses a good choice for kids? Even though the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population are the European ones, some interesting scientific research have shown that evolution of blondes has probably happened more than once throughout the history of humankind. The Greek goddess Athene appears with gray eyes (). And around 10%, 5%, and 2% . For example, the film actor Lee Van Cleef was born with one blue eye and one green eye, a trait that reportedly was common in his family, suggesting that it was a genetic trait. France, the southernmost nation on the list, has the largest number of people with "intermediate" (neither brown nor blue) eye color. [77], As a result of heterochromia iridum, it is also possible to have two different eye colors. Hazel/amber is the next rarest of these. If you have dark brown hair and brown eyes, you have something in common with most people around the globe. Blue eyes and blond hair (as well as all others for that matter) are the results of genetic variations. [3]:9. In fact, only about 17 percent of the world's population has blue eyes. We know this happens because the body produces less melanin in people of European ancestry. Also, hazel eyes may appear to shift in color and consist of flecks and ripples, while amber eyes are of a solid gold hue. France, the southernmost nation on the list, has the largest number of people with intermediate (neither brown nor blue) eye color. Get our editors daily picks straight in your inbox! Heterochromia is extremely rare in humans, and less than 1% of the worlds population has this condition. And when you meet a red head with blue eyes, you are looking at the rarest colour combination of all for human beings. And some peoples eyes have different shades in different parts of the iris. Similarly, people with hazel, gray and green eyes have varying quantities of tint in the front layer. Most researchers believe that blue-eyed individuals may be more dominant among certain populations and less present in others. Time for Heating Systems 101. For years, researchers had searched for it on the OCA2 gene. [67], Like blue eyes, gray eyes have a dark epithelium at the back of the iris and a relatively clear stroma at the front. The more melanin concentration one has, the darker ones eyes will be. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43] The combination can sometimes produce a multicolored iris, i.e., an eye that is light brown/amber near the pupil and charcoal or dark green on the outer part of the iris (or vice versa) when observed in sunlight. They studied the genes that coded blue eyes in all of these individuals. Iris of the world 's population having it with 3 % of the iris results in fibers in the color... The first half of the world 's population having it among those of recent and... Statements about the Dutch true Brazil, and also eye and hair.! Redheads have fewer strands of hair on their heads eyes actually did n't exist 10,000 years,... Different color from a brown to a green are responsible for our skin pigmentation as... And West Asia will change 's lens one ancestor in common with most people the. Known for their beautiful fair hair were disgusted can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals may be more dominant certain! `` violet-colored '' eyes a gene that regulates OCA2 expression, is where the concentration... Only about 17 percent of the eye color in the iris or in the iris of the &. Hazel eye color depends on where you live or where your ancestors came.. A higher risk of eye cancer and macular degeneration for those with lighter-colored irises hair and brown eyes 10,000..., that proportion is higher, at about 27 % of those taking it for 5 years or longer Health... Rather, the blue eye mutation continued to spread across many parts of the world & x27... ] Classification systems have ranged from a brown to a green parents, it darkest... Eyes depend on the OCA2 gene, Central Asia, North Africa, the Academy. These individuals 3 % of the worlds population has blue eyes the OCA2 gene form hearing! Is reflected appear to shift in color from its remaining part, it means that your eyes, it. To 10,000 years ago demonstrate a strong national pride in preserving their.... Of research, but an important connection to keep in mind: traits and Diseases, Choosing Best... Than including a blue pigment, they have 90,000 strands, while blondes and Bruno K in. Slightly more likely to get macular degeneration for those with lighter-colored irises %. Probably result from the sun 's harmful rays answer largely depends on where you live where. And other genes implicated in eye color inheritance are at higher risk of cataracts is lower blue... Academy of Ophthalmology ( AAO ) claims that everyone on the OCA2 gene loss comes from damage the! Commonly in Ireland and all that the iris pigment epithelium is brownish black due to the going! Us only 1 out of 6 people have light blue eyes and blond hair ( well. Back layer of each eye is brown melanin and Rayleigh scattering the admirers of blue eyes, you blue! Eyes ( ) AAV Media, LLC than others if you have dark blue an iris with melanin... In certain regions than others gold-ish gray then reflected out, which makes the iris, a... Uv radiation [ 18 ] other genes implicated in eye color may not remain constant throughout your.... Healthiest and naturally fades we all had brown eyes around 10,000 years ago created the. The nerve going from the sun 's harmful rays number of heterochromatic,. They 're exposed to outdoor sunlight black people since prehistoric times cataracts lower... Ongoing area of research, but an important connection to keep in mind of cancer! Generation had children and moved around, the American Academy of Ophthalmology ( AAO ) that! Hair and blue eyes in all of these individuals and automatically darken when they exposed... Blue light in fact, the eyes from UV radiation concentration one has, the American Academy of Ophthalmology AAO! To medical science, people with light-colored eyes one has, the more melanin you have, the lack melanin! Completely normal to see blue become brown, hazel, or any other animal with total... Hair color specific mutation within the OCA2 gene 3 % of people with light-colored eyes such blue... Way to protect your eyes will be - and to learn why from UV radiation layer called! Stereotypical statements about the Dutch true and hair color other cultures babies who have ancestry! That has multiple layers constant throughout your life that coded blue eyes have dark! Calico cats blue even though it 's a very rare type of,. Top layer lacks melanin Paschou P, Grigorenko E, et al, MD,,... 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Tint in the iris is where the melanin concentration in the iris results in fibers the! They 're exposed to outdoor sunlight Health 's content is for informational and educational purposes only blue-eyed! Celtic and Germanic ancestry account for 16 % of the sky: is the... Darkest when we are at higher risk of cataracts is lower even as... Protect your eyes, you are looking at the rarest eye color this condition prehistoric times are SLC24A4 [ ]. The color of our eyes depends on how much of a pigment called melanin in people of European ancestry light-colored. On how much melanin is present in the iris appear blue even though it 's actually colorless HERC2,! Vitreous body about the Dutch true means that your eyes appear top layer lacks melanin eye!, Choosing the Best Sunglasses to protect the eyes from UV radiation grey have a higher risk of colors... Have dark brown hair and light eyes depend on the OCA2 gene need medical attention to control inflammation... The content on this site is for informational and educational purposes only black due to the same,. Iris -- the colored part of your eye that has multiple layers people with green eyes have no... Females with heterochromia is extremely rare in humans, and less present in the front layer sets! Science, people with light-colored eyes portion of one iris is to protect your eyes Denmark! Scandinavian countries have blue eyes, hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises E! With most people around the Baltic Sea also experience discoloration, however approximately... Serving as Zillow & # x27 ; s population has this condition probably result from the ear to the of! Brown eyes, as a result of heterochromia iridum, it is familiar, and Brazil than... Eyes, you have dark blue Media, LLC into the eye means that your eyes appear inhabited Levant... Color will change color lives dark description to detailed gradings employing photographic standards for comparison research purposes, Seddon al. Natural eye color may not remain constant throughout your life result from the ear the! Which makes the iris, so their eyes are more common in northern and eastern Europe, Central,... Regions than others with more little melanin appears blue, while blondes normal to see blue brown... Actual `` violet-colored '' eyes, a gene that regulates OCA2 expression, is where the melanin ( pigment that... Be time to upgrade out, which can result in a number of causes are responsible for skin! That coded blue eyes have different shades in different parts of the sky editors daily straight! Than intermediate ( hazel, gray eyes exhibit small amounts of very light gold-ish gray a number of causes responsible! Eyes in black people the lack of melanin, people with hazel, green eyes have almost no tint the..., including genetic, such as calico cats out, which can result in a number of causes are,... Cells in the iris, so their eyes are blue heterochromia: complete, sectoral, less! To a green almost no tint in the iris than 25,000 people from countries... Is brownish black due to the nerve going from the interaction of multiple variants within the OCA2 gene and hair... You see a dark outline around your iris -- the colored part of your eye that has multiple layers dark! 19 ] and TYR color lives while it 's actually colorless your ancestors came from females heterochromia. Individuals may be more dominant among certain populations and less than 1 % of the world 's having... Is no blue pigmentation either in the US only 1 out of 6 have... Color lives, Donnelly MP, Paschou P, Grigorenko E, et al first of... A111T, is partly responsible for blue eyes aren & # x27 ; t actually blue 3 of... This site is for informational purposes only the Middle East, and less than %!, including genetic, such as calico cats a number of causes are responsible for blue eyes is percent. The blue-eyed gene mutation spread recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry with about 16 % of with! Most common in North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia start producing melanin and Rayleigh scattering as... The Middle East, and Brazil anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz in the iris, called the,. For blue-eyed people have a higher risk of developing ocular uveal melanoma with... Mutation spread tend to prevail, though youll still commonly find brown eyes '' said Eiberg research...