In fact, more than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to get rid of cataracts. Europe was the epicenter of the blue-eye gene mutation. 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%. The scale consists of 20 colors[97] ranging from light blue to dark brown-black, corresponding to natural eye colors caused by the amount of melanin in the iris:[98][99]. The ScotlandsDNA project has launched a program to count all the country's redheads - and to learn why . Page published on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. The color can be from the very pale blond (caused by a patchy, scarce distribution of pigment) to reddish "strawberry" blond or golden-brownish ("sandy") blond . What do the numbers on your eyeglass frames mean? For years, researchers had searched for it on the OCA2 gene. [95] Classification systems have ranged from a basic light or dark description to detailed gradings employing photographic standards for comparison. In addition to red eyes, some people with albinism can also have actual "violet-colored" eyes. Dissection reveals that the iris pigment epithelium is brownish black due to the presence of melanin. Almost all humans have some brown in their eyes. has been associated with changes in eye color in up to 33 percent of those taking it for 5 years or longer . The eyes of some pigeons contain yellow fluorescing pigments known as pteridines. Hearing Research. The North American brothers are similarly blonde-haired and blue-eyed. One mutation 10,000 years ago has today resulted in almost 200 million pairs of blue eyes, and people with blue eyes have more blue-eyed children. Such albinos have pink eyes, as do albino rabbits, mice, or any other animal with a total lack of melanin. (An estimated 55 percent of all people . This article discusses where blue eyes come from and how having blue eyes may increase your risk for certain health conditions. 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. Hazel eyes are due to a combination of Rayleigh scattering and a moderate amount of melanin in the iris' anterior border layer. Speaking scientifically, blue eye color and natural blond hair are cause of recessive genes (actually alleles, which are forms of a gene) combination, as opposed to dominant genes which are characterised by darker eye and hair colors (of course, recessive and dominant genes are not only responsible for eye and hair color, but for other genetic inheritance as well). Since Norway is on the 3rd place of the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage ofpopulation, there are still many darker native Norwegians than it could be expected. Brown eyes have the highest amount of melanin in the iris, and blue eyes have the least. Gray eyes are common in parts of Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and among the Algerian Shawia people in Northwest Africa. 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. Whats the Difference Between Vitiligo and Albinism? A poll conducted for the American Academy of Ophthalmology resulted in the following percentages: That the majority of Americans have light eyes is likely a reflection of the countrys earliest immigration patterns, with many new inhabitants coming from European countries where blue eyes dominate. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Can You Have One Blue Eye and One Brown Eye? [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. 10 . Brown eyes: Estimates show that 70%-80% of the worlds population have brown eyes. Most eye color changes have been observed or reported in the Caucasian population with hazel and amber eyes. 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. 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. [27] Green eyes contain the yellowish pigment lipochrome.[52]. Contact an eye doctor if you need medical attention. According to medical science, people with light-colored eyes such as blue, green or grey have a higher risk of eye cancer. These people make up about 9% of the U.S. population. As these are the rarest hair and eye colors in the world, Finland seems to have the majority of those, leaving only 7-10% of people having brown eyes. [37][39][42][44], Around 18% of the US population and 5% of the world population have hazel eyes. Due to this large concentration of collagen, the light is reflected differently than other eye colors. Iris color and associated pathological ocular complications: a review of epidemiologic studies. Estonia is the country most known for its fair-skinned, blue-eyed population, followed closely by Finland. Nevertheless, both figures leave Estonia among the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population. Hum Genet. In European countries, blue eyes and other lighter eye colors tend to prevail, though youll still commonly find brown eyes everywhere. New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. So don't be concerned if your child begins to lose their baby-blue eye color. Blue eyes aren't actually blue. SEE RELATED: How color contact lenses can make anyone's eyes blue. All blue-eyed people have one ancestor in common, born around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Activities of melanocytes are responsible for our skin pigmentation, as it is familiar, and also eye and hair color. In severe forms of albinism, there is no pigment on the back of the iris, and light from inside the eye can pass through the iris to the front. Most researchers believe that blue-eyed individuals may be more dominant among certain populations and less present in others. [22] Observing the iris of an infant from the side using only transmitted light with no reflection from the back of the iris, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of low levels of melanin. The most common eye color is dark brown in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Your pupil is the small black opening in the center. Instead, the copper accumulates in the liver and in other tissues, including the iris of the eye. As of 2010[update], as many as 16 genes have been associated with eye color inheritance. And some peoples eyes have different shades in different parts of the iris. [77], As a result of heterochromia iridum, it is also possible to have two different eye colors. [78] People with lighter eye colors, such as blue or green, have lessened protection from the sun, and so need greater protection from the sun's rays than those with darker eye colors. Through the analysis of ancient DNA, a 2020 study published in Experimental Dermatology suggested that the common gene for blue eye color likely originated in the Near East and arrived in Europe around 42,000 years ago, after the exodus out of Africa. Waardenburg Syndrome: Pale Blue Eyes, Hearing Loss, and More. Blue is the second most common and brown tops the list with 45% of the U.S. population and possibly almost 80% worldwide. 2012;131(5):683-96. doi:10.1007/s00439-011-1110-x. The brightly colored eyes of many bird species result from the presence of other pigments, such as pteridines, purines, and carotenoids. 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. Now, lets get back to our main questions, which country has the most blue eyes and which country has the most blondes. 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. When a portion of one iris is a different color from its remaining part, it is sectoral Heterochromia. Without question, brown eyes dominate globally, with an estimated 70-79% of the worlds population having eyes in shades of brown ranging from light golden brown to very dark brown and everything in between. : 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 . Is eye color determined by genetics? It's also the story of the bond she fights to maintain with her 10 year-old sister, Arina. While researchers have not pinpointed the exact cause yet, they do know that besides age, women with fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes have a significantly higher chance of developing macular degeneration. [68] Alternatively, it has been suggested that gray and blue eyes might differ in the concentration of melanin at the front of the stroma.[68]. The cultural implications are another story. Brown or dark-eyed people see are more likely to suffer from this type of depression, which is connected to cyclical changes in natural light. But, indeed, that is not the case of some parts of the british islands, northern, and north-eastern Europe inlcluding the Baltic countries where in fact, the concentration of very light hair and blue eyes is the highest, higher even than in Scandinavia. In Finland, apart from native Finns, there are Sami people (living in the north of the country in Lapland), which have a greater percentage of dark hair and eye color. It often develops as you age and is the leading cause of vision loss for people over 55. Eye melanoma is known to be more common for those with fair skin and light-colored eyes. Blue eye color is determined by melanin, and melanin is actually brown by nature. While it is largely believed that human pigmentation has faced adaptive selection and been shaped by the environment and climate, the genetic causes and selective pressures responsible have been difficult to detect and resolve, a study in the journal Genome Biology commented. January 2008. This part surrounds the pupil -- the small black hole in the eye's middle that regulates the light. Brown irises contain more or less melanin. [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. 9. The iris is made up of two layers of muscle and other kinds of cells. An estimated 29% of the population of Edinburgh, Scotland, has green eyes one of the rarest eye colors worldwide. Contact lenses can make anyone 's eyes blue have different shades in parts! And which country has the most blue eyes and which country has the most blondes and blue eyes other. 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