The Origin of Black People With Blue Eyes

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People pay very little attention to common eye colors, which explains why I get little to no compliments on my big brown eyes. We tend to be captivated by rare traits or unusual combinations, such as black people with blue eyes. This article will cover the origins of black people with blue eyes, and will list some examples of well-known black celebrities with blue eyes.

Can You Be Black and Have Blue Eyes?

Yes, you can be black and have blue eyes.

Still, blue eyes are very uncommon among black people, especially those with no Caucasian ancestry. Research has found that almost everyone with blue eyes is linked to an ancient genetic mutation, and a small fraction get their blue eye color as a result of a health condition such as ocular albinism, which affects the pigmentation in the eye.

What Is the Origin of Black People With Blue Eyes?

In short, the origin of black people with blue eyes is no different than the origin of any human’s eye color, the deciding factor being genetics.

Research argues that, at one point in time far in the past, everyone on the planet had brown eyes. The first light-eyed human emerged only about 10,000 years ago, says Professor Hans Eiberg and his team of Danish scientists from the University of Copenhagen.

In their study, Eiberg and his team recruited 800 blue-eyed men and women across different countries. They studied the genes that coded blue eyes in all of these individuals.

They were able to conclude that all blue-eyed people have the exact same DNA sequence to account for their blue eyes. They also found that this DNA sequence contains an ancient genetic mutation which presumably occurred 10,000 years ago around South-Eastern Europe. In other words, blue-eyed celebrities Matt Damon and Elijah Wood are your distant cousins if you have blue eyes. Everyone with blue eyes is related in a distant way.

Black people are affected by this genetic mutation in the same way any other human is, but because the mutation originated in Europe, it is rare to see a black baby born with blue eyes. We will explore this concept more in the sections below.

Another, but less common, reason why a black baby may be born with blue eyes is if it has ocular albinism or waardenburg syndrome.

What Is the Rarest Eye Color?

Whether you’re black or not, the rarest eye color in the world is green. It is estimated that only about two percent of the world’s population has green eyes.

As for blue eyes, it is estimated that about eight percent of the world’s population has them. While green eyes consist of a mild amount of pigmentation with hints of gold, blue eyes are formed by the absence of pigment in the iris.

Why Do Some People Have Yellow Eyes?

When people refer to yellow eyes, they are speaking of the whites of one’s eyes (called the scelera), rather than the iris.

Whether a person is black or not, the whites of their eyes can turn yellowish for a number of reasons. These include:

  • Jaundice – The most common cause of yellowish eyes. Jaundice can also turn the skin yellow, and usually indicates a serious problem with the liver, gallbladder or pancreas.
  • Hepatitis – An inflammatory condition of the liver, and can cause yellowish eyes.
  • Biliary Duct Obstruction – Blocked bile ducts can cause the whites of one’s eyes to yellow.
  • Alcohol-Related Liver Disease – Yellowing of the eyes can be caused by damage to the liver caused by heavy drinking.
  • Cirrhosis – Severe scarring and poor function of the liver due to damage by alcohol or viral infections.
  • Gallstones – These can block the bile duct and cause yellowing of the eyes.
  • Thalassemia – A blood disorder that causes the body to create an abnormal form of hemoglobin.
  • G6PD Deficiency – A genetic condition caused by a lack of the G6PD enzyme in the blood.
  • Acute Pancreatitis – Inflammation of the pancreas.

Read the full article: owlcation.com

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