Thread: Genetic mutation makes those brown eyes blue

Here's what made those brown eyes blue - More health news - MSNBC.com

People with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor, according to new research.

A team of scientists has tracked down a genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. The mutation occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, so before then, there were no blue eyes.

"Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Hans Eiberg from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen.

My girlfriend's a Mutie!

Sweet. I'm an X-man.

Now maybe someone can explain to me something I've never understood: When the first person to exhibit a mutation procreats... doesn't the mutation die with them. Because the single common ancestor would have to have humpity humped with a brown eyed partner... and then as brown eyes are dominant the mutation would be immediately lost on the next generation. Even if by freak chance the mutation passed on to one kid... it would then be lost on the next?

I would like to know how this works for all evolutionary mutations. Anyone know?

Originally Posted by Dr.Knuckles

Sweet. I'm an X-man.

Now maybe someone can explain to me something I've never understood: When the first person to exhibit a mutation procreats... doesn't the mutation die with them. Because the single common ancestor would have to have humpity humped with a brown eyed partner... and then as brown eyes are dominant the mutation would be immediately lost on the next generation. Even if by freak chance the mutation passed on to one kid... it would then be lost on the next?

I would like to know how this works for all evolutionary mutations. Anyone know?

Inbreeding is much more frequent and healthier than usually assumed so recessive genes can build up in the local population. Also recessive genes produce proteins same as dominant genes and those proteins are found throughout the body. Blue eyes themselves do not do anything in particular that can be proven but the blueeyed gene is associated with greater rank and dominance presumably due to some effect other than eye color itself.

Blue eyes are a recessive which means you have to have two blue eye genes while brown is dominant which means you need only one brown eye gene to have brown eyes. Now pure Mendelian inheritance states that when a blue eyed person marries a brown eyed person their children will have a mix of both genes but still be brown eyed. It is their children and grandchildren who, when they marry, will mix the brown eye/blue eye genes back to throw pure blue eyes.

Understanding Genetics: Human Health and the Genome

Originally Posted by william the wierd

Inbreeding is much more frequent and healthier than usually assumed so recessive genes can build up in the local population. Also recessive genes produce proteins same as dominant genes and those proteins are found throughout the body. Blue eyes themselves do not do anything in particular that can be proven but the blueeyed gene is associated with greater rank and dominance presumably due to some effect other than eye color itself.

IMO there must have been some advantage that went along with being blue eyed to make them not dominant but the majority in northern Europe, it could be something cultural like rank as you say but not enough to me to explain the lack of brown eyes....very interesting problem.....

Originally Posted by Dr.Knuckles

Sweet. I'm an X-man.

Now maybe someone can explain to me something I've never understood: When the first person to exhibit a mutation procreats... doesn't the mutation die with them. Because the single common ancestor would have to have humpity humped with a brown eyed partner... and then as brown eyes are dominant the mutation would be immediately lost on the next generation. Even if by freak chance the mutation passed on to one kid... it would then be lost on the next?

I would like to know how this works for all evolutionary mutations. Anyone know?

if the mutation doesn't harm the individual it even if recessive it will come back....if the mutant had a third arm growing out his/her forehead that might be be a hindrance to find a mate, it's probably not a hot feature....but a blue eyed babe in a world of browns probably wasn't a turnoff, I would think just the opposite.....

Originally Posted by wyly

IMO there must have been some advantage that went along with being blue eyed to make them not dominant but the majority in northern Europe, it could be something cultural like rank as you say but not enough to me to explain the lack of brown eyes....very interesting problem.....

They could have been rejected by brown-eyed people as freaks and forced to move to the colder north...

Originally Posted by Latherty

They could have been rejected by brown-eyed people as freaks and forced to move to the colder north...

a population of one wouldn't last very long....it could be cultural as well as some other physical attribute went with it that proved to be advantageous in a northern climate, a resistance to a disease, an ability to tolerate a different diet.....or blue eyes=lighter skin= better able to absorb vitamin D in areas of less sunlight.....

Originally Posted by TenGig

Here's what made those brown eyes blue - More health news - MSNBC.com

When in Ireland, where most peopl ehave blue eyes, the women love my brown eyes. Odd, but it's a different perspective I guess.