Were Humans Originally a Brown-Eyed Species? A Galaxy Insight

Apparently, all of us with those blue eyes that made Frank Sinatra so popular owe our darling blues to a genetic mutation. New research conducted by Professor Hans Eiberg from the University of Copenhagen, who began this field of research 12 years ago, says we can trace the blue eyes back to a genetic mutation back somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago.  

According to Eiberg: “Originally, we all had brown eyes,” but during the specified period a gene called OCA2 (probably wasn’t called that back then) which “literally 'turned off' the ability to produce brown eyes.”

 

Professor Eiberg was the first to implicate the OCA2 gene as being responsible for eye color, among other things. Since that implication, back in 1996, Eiberg has worked hard to reach conclusions such as these.

The mutation in the OCA2 gene effects the production of melanin, the biological pigment that gives color to our hairs, eyes and skin. According to Eiberg the mutation dials down the levels of melanin in our eyes, thus creating the popular blue.

By way of contrast, a human being without any melanin in their body would be an albino.

Eiberg has also managed to place a “best guess” on the location of where this mutation took place. He believes that it originated from the near east or northwest areas of the Black Sea region. This location is where the great agriculture migration to the northern part of Europe took place, during the Neolithic period 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. However, he stresses his unsurely; “That is my best guess,” he said. “It could be the northern part of Afghanistan.”

The discovery is being reported in the journal Human Genetics, where Professor Eiberg says that “They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA. From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor.”

Posted by Josh Hill.

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Links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=APJEN0U2XRMFFQFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/01/30/scieyes130.xml

 

Comments

[Kirado]

Hmmm well considering they have recently sequenced the genome of Neanderthals in Spain.. having discovered genes for blue eyes and red hair in the sequence.. I think Eiberg will have to do a bit of rethink because Neanderthals where in Europe much earlier than 10-000 bc..

[Alistair]

If you are looking for an entertaining perspective on genetics and want to be entertained, have a play with Routes, the UK's Channel 4 new online program about genetics. Watch, play and learn all about it at http://www.routesgame.com

[Alistair]

If you are looking for an entertaining perspective on genetics and want to be entertained, have a play with Routes, the UK's Channel 4 new online program about genetics. Watch, play and learn all about it at http://www.routesgame.com

[Lorie]

Um, hello, he has more thinking to do than that. I was blue eyed as a child, but as my eyesight has deteriorated over the years my eyes have gone from blue to grey to green. Explain that genetic mutation.

[Simon]

Genetic mutations equate to evolving. Therefore Blue eyes are considered higher up human evolutionary scale.