Why Blue Eyes?

By Spencer

New research shows that people with blue eyes have one common ancestor.

This is because of a genetic mutation. At first, we all had brown eyes but a genetic mutation turned off the ability to produce brown eyes. It affected a gene that makes a protein that helps make melanin, the thing that gives color to our hair, eyes and skin. The genetic mutation does not turn off the gene entirely, but instead makes the production of melanin in the eye smaller which dilutes brown eyes to blue. But, you ask, then why do we have other colored eyes? Other color eyes like brown and green can all be explained by how much melanin is in the iris, but blue-eyed people only have a little difference in the amount of melanin in their eyes. That’s why scientists know blue-eyed people all have one common ancestor. They have inherited that mutation.