Why did people develop blue eyes?The appearance of blue eyes in humans is the result of a genetic mutation that occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. Before this mutation, all humans had brown eyes. The mutation affected the OCA2 gene, which is inv

Today, blue-eyed people are found everywhere, but researchers have made an astounding discovery: this trait was once completely absent in the human population. According to recent scientific data, all people with blue eyes are descendants of a single common ancestor who lived 6-10 thousand years ago and experienced a unique genetic mutation.

The amazing mechanism of eye color formation depends on a special pigment - melanin. Brown eyes have the maximum concentration of it, green eyes contain a medium amount, and blue eyes are characterized by an almost complete absence of pigment. Their mesmerizing shade occurs due to the same optical effect that makes the sky blue - the scattering of light in the iris.

During a large-scale study, scientists determined that the appearance of blue eyes is linked to a mutation in the OCA2 gene, which is responsible for melanin production. This genetic "accident" led to a decrease in pigment production in the iris. Researchers managed to trace the origin of this mutation to a single ancestor who lived in the territory of modern Northern Europe.