When and where did the genes for blue and greens eyes originate?
Different eye colour is due to the mutations of a single gene. The appearance of lighter eye colours (blue, green, gray) was probably supported by the decreased levels of Melanin in the humans who migrated out of Africa and into colder and less sunny Europe. Blue eyes can apparently be traced back to a single individual who lived in the Black Sea region 6,000-10,000 years ago. Melanin is also responsible for the hair colour, so decreased levels of melanin would have been responsible for blond hair as well. Based on recent genetic information carried out at three Japanese universities, the date of the genetic mutation that resulted in blonde hair in Europe has been isolated to about 11,000 years ago during the last ice age. Before then, Europeans mostly had darker hair and eyes, which is predominant in the rest of the world.
