All blue-eyed people share a common ancestor! Scientific research suggests that every person with blue eyes can trace their lineage back to a single individual who lived between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. This genetic mutation originated in the region around the Black Sea and gradually spread through migration and interbreeding.
The reason for this shared ancestry is a mutation in the OCA2 gene, which normally produces melanin (the pigment responsible for brown eyes). However, a separate mutation in the HERC2 gene essentially “switches off” the OCA2 gene, reducing melanin production in the iris and resulting in blue eyes.
So, if you have blue eyes, you are genetically linked to millions of others with the same trait, all stemming from a single ancient ancestor!
