ALL BLUE-EYED INDIVIDUALS SHARE A COMMON ANCESTOR: STUDY

Mon 10 June 2024:

Research conducted by the University of Copenhagen has uncovered that all blue-eyed individuals may descend from a single common ancestor due to a genetic mutation that occurred 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Led by Professor Hans Eiberg from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the study identified a mutation in the OCA2 gene responsible for blue eye color.

The OCA2 gene, which influences melanin production in melanocytes, underwent a mutation creating a ‘switch’ that reduced melanin production in the iris, leading to blue eyes. This mutation suggests that every person with blue eyes can trace their lineage back to the same ancestor.

Professor Eiberg’s team confirmed these findings by examining mitochondrial DNA and comparing eye colors from populations in Jordan, Denmark, and Turkey.

The mutation does not impact survival; it exemplifies nature’s ongoing genetic experimentation within the human genome.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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