The famous tune “Galway Girl” tells the tale of a man who
falls desperately in love with an Irish girl. Why does he fall so hard for her,
you might ask? It’s simple:
Her hair was black and her eyes were blue.
Eyes are arguably the most complex and amazing human organs,
often referred to as the “window to the soul.”
And blue eyes seem to captivate humans perhaps more than any
other variation of eye color.
Indeed, blue eyes are distinct, powerful, piercing, complicated
and undeniably beautiful. This is precisely why they’ve inspired countless
songs, poems, paintings and photographs.
Yet, none of this would’ve been possible had a genetic
mutation not occurred thousands of years ago.
Originally, all humans had brown eyes until that mutation
arose around 10,000 years ago.
In fact, a study from the University of Copenhagen shows
that every single person on the planet with blue eyes shares a common
ancestor,as noted by the Independent.
The scientists conducting the study analyzed the DNA of
around 800 people with blue eyes from multiple parts of the world.
Out of all of the participants, 99.5 percent had the same
mutation in the gene that influences the color of our eyes. In other words,
they shared common DNA, much like relatives.
This also indicates that one person is responsible for this
mutation.
This, however, doesn’t also mean people with brown eyes all
have the same ancestor. Brown-eyed people have a significant deal of disparity
in terms of the gene that determines eye color.
Mutations can occur for a number of reasons. It’s not known
exactly why humans developed blue eyes, but it might be related to natural
selection and survival of the fittest.
Some theorize that people evolved to have blue eyes because
it might have made them more attractive as potential mates.
And while we typically think of people with blue eyes as
having fair skin, a recent discovery challenges that perception.
Last year, remains of a 7,000-year-old hunter-gatherer were
found in northwest Spain.
After analyzing his DNA, scientists determined that he had
dark hair, dark skin and blue eyes. In essence, this hunter-gatherer had both
European and African traits.
What this suggests is the color of human eyes changed before
the color of our skin.
Moreover, this handsome hunter-gatherer devil could
conceivably bethe first blue-eyed man in history. This is speculative, of
course, but an interesting theory nonetheless.
Regardless of the differences in our appearances today,
evolution reveals one simple and important truth: We’re all human.
Source:perfectz.net
