The content on this site is for informational purposes only. 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. It was created by the anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz in the first half of the 20th century. Blue eyes are an inherited trait. Black is not an eye color. [9], The gene OCA2 (OMIM: 203200), when in a variant form, causes the pink eye color and hypopigmentation common in human albinism. Amber eyes may also contain amounts of very light gold-ish gray. Red Hair Is Thicker. Ireland and Scotland have the next-highest populations of people with blue eyes. About half of people living in the U.S. and a higher population in Africa, and Asia are brown-eyed. [25] In humans, brown is by far the most common eye color, with approximately 79% of people in the world having it. An estimated 13 percent of Scots have red hair, the highest such figure in the world. Blue eye color is determined by melanin, and melanin is actually brown by nature. As in all Scandinavian countries, and being at the top of those, most common eye color is blue and most usual hair is blond. Woman From Denmark With Blue Eyes. [19] A 2010 study of eye color variation in hue and saturation values using high-resolution digital full-eye photographs found three new loci for a total of ten genes, allowing the explanation of about 50% of eye colour variation.[20]. The brown eyes with brown hair is one of the commonest combination in most parts of Europe. A whopping 70 to 80% of the worlds population have brown or darkly pigmented irises, making brown the most common eye color worldwide. [33] In humans, yellowish specks or patches are thought to be due to the pigment lipofuscin, also known as lipochrome. [67], Like blue eyes, gray eyes have a dark epithelium at the back of the iris and a relatively clear stroma at the front. Since the inner ear uses melanin, and blue eyes come from a lack of melanin, some researchers hypothesize there may be a link between eye color and acquired hearing loss. The Greek goddess Athene appears with gray eyes (). All blue-eyed people have one ancestor in common, born around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Thats true for people of every eye color. Effortless urban style, with expert craftsmanship - clothing, shoes & apparel for men & women from rag & bone. Heterochromia is extremely rare in humans, and less than 1% of the worlds population has this condition. Europe was the epicenter of the blue-eye gene mutation. Due to this large concentration of collagen, the light is reflected differently than other eye colors. Cavin Herbert Eye Institute. That is, they certainly are not the tallest (although tall enough being behind one of the tallest countries like Germany or Netherlands), and the researches concerning eye color are not precise enough as we have noted in the introduction. As explained by livescience.com, "a single mutation which arose as recently as . American Academy of Ophthalmology. At first, you may not notice that you have a cataract. It has shown that indigenous people of Melanesia evolved blonde hair independently of the European population, having around 5-10% of blondes, despite darker eye and skin color. 8. The hazel eye color is primarily due to the combination of a decent amount of melanin and Rayleigh scattering. They look blue because of how light is reflected. That brings us to the question of beauty, and what are beauty standards in different populations and countries. A number of causes are responsible, including genetic, such as chimerism, Horner's syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome. Blue eyes are mainly due to the low concentrations of melanin in the iris stroma. Redheads have fewer strands of hair on their heads. People with brown eyes have high concentrations of . [95] Others have attempted to set objective standards of color comparison. As that generation had children and moved around, the blue eye mutation continued to spread across many parts of the globe. In other words, it's impossible to know for sure if your children will have blue eyes or any other color. Blue 8.0%. At the end, what we got was a blonde map of Europe. Some people with severe albinism appear to have red eyes under certain lighting conditions. Especially, Intraocular Melanoma. [49] Around 810% of men and 1821% of women in Iceland and 6% of men and 17% of women in the Netherlands, have green eyes. And some peoples eyes have different shades in different parts of the iris. Eye color results from the amount of pigment (melanin) you have in the front layer (stroma). In those with milder forms of albinism, the color of the iris is typically blue but can vary from blue to brown. Thats because eye color comes from melanin, the same brown pigment that gives color to our hair and skin. Now, lets see what else we have on our list oftop countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage ofpopulation. Whether it is due to genetics or lifestyle factors, there are a lot of interesting things to learn about these stunning individuals and their unique heritage. Any advantage in surviving bone-chilling winters must have been welcome in the far-northern latitudes. [28] In many parts of the world, it is nearly the only iris color present. Moreover, a gray iris may indicate uveitis, while those with blue, green, or gray eyes are at an increased risk of uveal melanoma. About 93 percent of Han Chinese carry the variant, as do about 70 percent of people in Japan and Thailand, and 60 to 90 percent of American Indians, a population descended from East Asians. Blue eyes as a risk factor for type 1 diabetes, Eye color as a risk factor for acquired sensorineural hearing loss: A review, A global view of the OCA2-HERC2 region and pigmentation. Cataracts are very common as you get older. Eyes only appear to be these colors because of the way light strikes the layers of the iris and reflects back toward the viewer. Blue eyes aren't actually blue. Cylindrical cells are the photoreceptors of the eye that have a black and white vision and, depending on the amount of light received from the environment, determine the amount of darkness and brightness of objects. At one time, it was believed that eye color, blue eyes included, was a simple genetic trait. Ready? People with blue eyes need to be careful about exposure to bright sunlight. If you have a darker iris color, you are at a greater risk of developing this eye disease. Blue Eyes - 8 to 10%. This results in the formation of KayserFleischer rings, which are dark rings that encircle the periphery of the iris. It is a result of the relative excess or lack of pigment within an iris or part of an iris, which may be inherited or acquired by disease or injury. In theory, blue eyes may have protected a person from acquiring vision disorders caused by these periods. Comments. Sturm R.A. & Larsson M., Genetics of human iris colour and patterns, Pigment Cell Melanoma Res, 22:544-562, 2009. In humans, this pigmentation of the iris depends on the melanin concentration in the iris pigment epithelium, it's content within the iris stroma, as well as the cellular density of the stroma. Iceland, the northernmost country of the bunch, has the greatest percentage of people with blue eyes. Denmark, the Polish coast and the Baltic states), making it in effect an almost entirely blonde-bounded lake. Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! Get our editors daily picks straight in your inbox! Additionally, Icelanders are very passionate about supporting their sports teams! For years, researchers had searched for it on the OCA2 gene. The iris is the colored part of the eye. Blue eyes are more concentrated in certain regions than others. About 5% of the worlds population and 18% of Americans have hazel eyes -- a mixture of green, gold, and orange. Since beauty is nowadays mostly the matter of a subjective opinion, there are still some standards that define someone as beautiful, but on that matter, you will find more interesting information in the article aboutcountries with the most beautiful women in Europe andcountries with the most beautiful women in the world. "But a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a 'switch,' which literally turned off the ability to produce brown eyes.". "From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor," said Eiberg. Blue-eyed, fair-skinned settlers inhabited the Levant some 6,500 years ago, according to an international interdisciplinary team of scientists. This means everyone with blue eyes has one thing in commonthey're all related. Eye color as a risk factor for acquired sensorineural hearing loss: A review. This color transition can take anywhere from a few months to three years to run its course. Hazel eyes are due to a combination of Rayleigh scattering and a moderate amount of melanin in the iris' anterior border layer. Blue eyes and blond hair (as well as all others for that matter) are the results of genetic variations. [50] Among European Americans, green eyes are most common among those of recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry with about 16%. In fact, only about 17 percent of the world's population has blue eyes. Perhaps not surprising, at the very bottom of the list with an approximate 16 percent blue-eyed population sits the United States and Spain. The highest percentages of fair-haired people can be found around the Baltic Sea (e.g. The mutation, A111T, is found most commonly in Ireland and all . About half as many Americans have blue eyes as brown eyes. 2000-2023 AAV Media, LLC. [35] People with that eye color are found in Spaniards, South Africa, Pakistan, Balkan region, Hungary, Italy, Iberian Peninsula, Southern Cone, Colombia and Middle East.[36]. Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The colored part of the eye is called the iris. That's 13 million people, out of the 7.6 billion on Earth. European Americans with recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry account for 16% of people with green eyes. 2012;131(5):683-96. doi:10.1007/s00439-011-1110-x. Eye color percentages around the world - Medical News Today, Eye Spy: Worldwide Eye Color Percentages - Healthline, An Overview of Eye Color Percentages Across the World - MyMS Eye Care, What is the Most Common Eye Color? Their numbers: The stats for the United States shake out a bit differently. Brown melanin is the only pigment that exists in the eye; there is no pigment for hazel or green or blue. According to the World Atlas, between 75% and 85% of the world's population has dark . Rather than including a blue pigment, they actually just lack the pigment that makes eyes brown. Brown eyes result from a relatively high concentration of melanin in the stroma of the iris, which causes light of both shorter and longer wavelengths to be absorbed.[27]. So, take these figures with a pinch of salt. [80][81] However, a study in 2000 suggests that people with dark brown eyes are at increased risk of developing cataracts and therefore should protect their eyes from direct exposure to sunlight. All About Vision does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. But lets not get things too scientific at this point. Green irises, for example, have some yellow and the blue structural color. [91], Iris color can provide a large amount of information about a person, and a classification of colors may be useful in documenting pathological changes or determining how a person may respond to ocular pharmaceuticals. Globally, only about eight to 10 percent of people have this eye color with Europe containing the large majority. For example, Asians typically have brown eyes, while Europeans are more likely to have eyes of blue or other lighter hues. Why Do Europeans Have So Many Hair and Eye Colors? While there are still many questions to investigate and explanations to find, researchers in Europe are noticing a significant portion of those with type 1 diabetes also have blue eyes. [73], Although the deep blue eyes of some people such as Elizabeth Taylor can appear purple or violet at certain times, "true" violet-colored eyes occur only due to albinism. The most common eye color is dark brown in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. [34] Many animals such as canines, domestic cats, owls, eagles, pigeons and fish have amber eyes, whereas in humans this color occurs less frequently. [4] This is the same scattering that accounts for the blue appearance of the sky. Such albinos have pink eyes, as do albino rabbits, mice, or any other animal with a total lack of melanin. Common Eye Disorders. A baby's eyes may be blue during this time, but later change color. Another hypothesis about heterochromia is that it can result from a viral infection in utero affecting the development of one eye, possibly through some sort of genetic mutation. Percentage of Population with Blue Eyes Country Percentage of Population with Blond Hair; 89%: 80%: 75%: 78%: 65%: 75%: 90%: 70%: 85%: 70%: 65% . [18] Other genes implicated in eye color variation are SLC24A4[19] and TYR. Are Blue-Eyed People More Likely to Get Macular Degeneration? "Why Edinburgh residents are likely to be blue-eyed", "Genetic determinants of hair, eye and skin pigmentation in Europeans", "Eye Color Percentage for Across the Globe", "Is there any difference in the photobiological properties of melanins isolated from human blue and brown eyes? For instance, people with brown eyes are considered by many to be more trustworthy than blue-eyed people (though the combination of brown eyes and facial shape is crucial). There are many other possible reasons for having two different-colored eyes. 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. Unsurprisingly, another Scandinavian country has placed itself third on our list of countries with the highest percentage of blond hair citizens. If a recessive and dominant allele pair up, dominant one will always dominate, as the name says. This form of hearing loss comes from damage to the inner ear or to the nerve going from the ear to the brain. How eye color develops and why it changes. By Steve Asbell on 15 Jan 2019. Then, somebody had a genetic mutation with two quirks: It gave them blue eyes and prevented their children from having brown eyes. Gray eyes are common in parts of Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and among the Algerian Shawia people in Northwest Africa. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. A chimera can have two different colored eyes just like any two siblings canbecause each cell has different eye color genes. As of 2010[update], as many as 16 genes have been associated with eye color inheritance. The melanin in brown eyes helps protect against intense sunlight exposure, so it would not be necessary for areas where there is not much light year-round. Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Having blue eyes has its advantages. While researchers can't yet prove eye color indicates a hearing problem, they did find that those with lighter-colored eyes had more significant hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises. That's more in line with the hair color's natural occurrence. Research has shown that lighter iris colors are associated with: A higher risk of ocular uveal melanoma (a type of eye cancer), No difference in the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. [12], Eye color is an inherited trait determined by multiple genes. The collagen is scatted by light to make the eyes look gray. So, if melanocytes extract just a little bit of melanin, babys eye color will remain light, but they usually produce much more of this protein, which causes darker eye colors. This occurs in humans and certain breeds of domesticated animals and affects less than 1 percent of the world's population. [19] Blue eyes are caused by a gene mutation. This anomaly, which film producers thought would be disturbing to film audiences, was "corrected" by having Van Cleef wear brown contact lenses. Some of the eye-color genes include OCA2 and HERC2. Scientists are looking into the possibility of those who have blue eyes being at higher risk for sensorineural hearing loss. Blue eyes aren't even actually blue. First, one can have blue eyes as a result of a genetic mutation. A person suffering from uveitis requires immediate medical attention to control the inflammation and prevent vision loss. Yellowing of the sclera (the "whites of the eyes") is associated with jaundice,[84] and may be symptomatic of liver diseases such as cirrhosis or hepatitis. It shows that in most of Scotland and Ireland, as well as a random patch in central Russia, 10% of people are of the ginger genre. So don't be concerned if your child begins to lose their baby-blue eye color. Anisocoria thus refers to an abnormal condition characterized by different pupil sizes. A mosaic can have two different colored eyes if the DNA difference happens to be in an eye-color gene. Blond hair percentage: 75. This part surrounds the pupil -- the small black hole in the eye's middle that regulates the light. If you have dark brown hair and brown eyes, you have something in common with most people around the globe. Hazel eyes are usually a combination of green and brown and often flecks of gold or orange. The brightly colored eyes of many bird species result from the presence of other pigments, such as pteridines, purines, and carotenoids. [3][6] This is an example of structural color, which depends on the lighting conditions, especially for lighter-colored eyes. Norway. 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), the melanin content within the iris stroma (located at the front of the iris), and the cellular density of the stroma. If this gene activation never happens, a baby's eyes will stay blue. They were present in south Siberia during the Bronze Age. Estonia is the country most known for its fair-skinned, blue-eyed population, followed closely by Finland. If you have blue eyes, it means the iris part of your eyes lacks melanin, so, technically, blue eyes don't have any color. 10 . 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. [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. 3. The blue-eyes stereotype: do eye color, pupil diameter, and scleral color affect attractiveness? "Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Hans Eiberg, associate professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the university. Although these conditions cannot permanently change the color of the iris, they generally affect the eyes sclera or cornea. A global view of the OCA2-HERC2 region and pigmentation. [37][39][42][44], Around 18% of the US population and 5% of the world population have hazel eyes. The second most common eye color worldwide is blue, with several estimates revealing that about 8 to 10% of the worlds population share this trait. Boys are 3 percent to 5 percent likelier to have blue eyes than girls, but beyond that it's a non-issue -- physiologically speaking. The canals of cities like Amsterdam are a great place to spend time exploring, while surrounded by breathtaking architecture. Quizzes; Events; Quiz Creation; Community; Videos; Private Events . If there is enough or too much melanin, the eyes are brown and black. As the child develops, melanocytes (cells found within the iris of human eyes, as well as skin and hair follicles) slowly begin to produce melanin. One more usual hair color is red, and also green eye color, being among the rarest in the world. The more melanin concentration one has, the darker ones eyes will be. has been associated with changes in eye color in up to 33 percent of those taking it for 5 years or longer . Blue eyes as a risk factor for type 1 diabetes. Green eyes are common in Europe's Central, Western, and Northern regions. Adult eye color is usually established between 3 and 6 months of age, though this can be later. Heterochromia (heterochromia iridum or heterochromia iridis) is an eye condition in which one iris is a different color from the other (complete heterochromia), or where a part of one iris is a different color from the remainder (partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia). The human eye consists of two types of light and color receptors in the retina. Have you ever wondered which the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population are? Having blue eyes has its advantages. The gray-eyed have little or no melanin in their iris but have more collagen in the stroma part of the eye. However, they might increase your risk of health problems like type 1 diabetes and eye cancer. Black People With Blue Eyes. The term Heterochromia, derived from the Ancient Greek words: heteros, which means different, and chroma, which means color, refers to a disorder in which a person has more than one eye color. ", "Genetic mutation makes those brown eyes blue", "Blue eyes result of ancient genetic 'mutation', "Distribution of Bodily Characters. That same study suggested an intriguing possibility: Blue-eyed northern Europeans may have somehow adapted an ability to fend off seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D., also known as the winter blues). Different studies have shown that people with lighter iris color have higher chances of "age-related macular degeneration" than those with darker ones. Grey 0%. [62][63][64], Approximately 8% to 10% of the global population have blue eyes. For the shade of purple, see, "Brown eyes" redirects here. Stay Safe. Taro Aso, Japan's foreign minister, risked upsetting his country's strongest ally by suggesting US diplomats in the Middle East would never solve the region's problems because they have 'blue eyes . It shows up in about 9% of Americans but only 2% of the world's population. [4][34] Hazel eyes often appear to shift in color from a brown to a green. Your blue eyes arent really blue. [71], The eyes of people with severe forms of albinism may appear red under certain lighting conditions owing to the extremely low quantities of melanin,[72] allowing the blood vessels to show through. [85] A blue coloration of the sclera may also be symptomatic of disease. The higher the melanin concentration in the iris, the darker the eye color will be. Sorry, no results has been found matching your query. Bookmark Quiz Bookmark Quiz Bookmark. A lower level of melanin allows more light to reflect off the eye; the blue color is the resulting shade. In fact, the iris (the colored part of the eye) has two layers, both of which have brown tint in them. What Is the Origin of Blue Eyes in Black People? Green eyes: The most attractive eye color? Just 2.2 percent of male CEOs had blond hair, a 2005 study found. [83], Eye color outside of the iris may also be symptomatic of disease. 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. Eye melanoma is known to be more common for those with fair skin and light-colored eyes. Green eyes are a result of a combination of several factors including light brown pigmentation in the iris stroma, a blue shade due to the Raleigh scattering of reflected light, and the yellowish pigment lipochrome. Globally, brown is the most common eye color. [93] There are also other studies that challenge these findings. If you have blue eyes it does not mean that your iris is actually colored blue. Melanin is also responsible for the color of our skin, eyes and hair. SEE RELATED: How color contact lenses can make anyone's eyes blue. The iris is made up of two layers of muscle and other kinds of cells. Because of this, the pupillary reflex is much more pronounced in albino individuals, and this can emphasize the red eye effect in photographs. or brown eyes. Although most common eye color in Latvia that ranks 7th on our list oftop countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage ofpopulation, is blue and greyish-blue and hair blond, there is also a certain amount of population being grey-eyes and brown haired, whose roots can probably be traced to the ancient Livs, who have later been assimilated. Hazel 5-8%. Comments. 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 . The most common eye colors depend largely on geographic location. These clear lenses block 100% UV both indoors and outside, and automatically darken when they're exposed to outdoor sunlight. 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. Gray eyes: A rare and beautiful eye color. It may take up to six months for the gene responsible for creating the pigment in the eyes to activate melanin production. See More by this Creator. The color of ones eye is perhaps one of the first things people observe when they see each other. Trauma and certain medications, such as some prostaglandin analogues, can also cause increased pigmentation in one eye. In fact, Hamilton should be proud to be part of an exclusive club: recent studies found that only one in six Americans now have blue eyes, down from roughly 50 percent at the beginning of the 20th . Iris color and associated pathological ocular complications: a review of epidemiologic studies. After green, gray is the second-rarest natural eye color, with 3% of the worlds population having gray eyes. Persons with albinism have very little or no melanin in the iris. Blue eyes percentage: 50-80. 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. MDQL won't back down. Making it in effect an almost entirely blonde-bounded lake globally, brown is the Origin of blue other! And HERC2 s 13 million people, out of the eye ; there is no for! 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