Blue eyes in Aboriginal Australians come from European gene flow after 1788, not ancient heritage. The recessive HERC2 and OCA2 mutations can remain hidden for generations before appearing. Waardenburg syndrome also causes blue eyes in some Aboriginal Australians. There is no evidence Aboriginals retained a blue eye variant from early out-of-Africa populations. Genetic dating shows the single European blue eye mutation emerged earlier than 6,000–10,000 years ago—long after Aboriginals left Africa.
Aboriginal blue eyes result from European admixture, not ancient heritage
Key facts
- Blue eyes in Aboriginal Australians are explained by recent European gene flow after 1788
- The recessive HERC2 and OCA2 mutations can remain hidden for generations before appearing
- Waardenburg syndrome also causes blue eyes in some Aboriginal Australians
- There is no evidence Aboriginals retained a blue eye variant from early out-of-Africa populations
- Genetic dating shows European blue eye variant emerged around 10,000 years ago, long after Aboriginals left Africa
- Aboriginal genetics would not support blue eyes - they live under intense UV exposure and lack farming diets
Sources
A global view of the OCA2-HERC2 region and pigmentation - PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Blue eye color in human may be caused by a perfectly associated founder mutation in a regulatory element located within the HERC2 gene inhibiting OCA2 ...
Behind Blue Eyes: A Look at the Genetic and Cultural Components ...cpp-college.netlify.app
Blue eye color in humans may be caused by a perfectly associated founder mutation in a regulatory element located within the HERC2 gene ...
Fact 8: Inheritance - Genome BCgenomebc.ca
What is most amazing is that this one specific mutation in HERC2 is present in all people with blue eyes (with the exception of those with blue eyes as a result ...
Blue-eyed humans have a single, common ancestor | ScienceDailysciencedaily.com
Everyone with blue eyes inherited a tiny genetic "switch" that dilutes brown pigment in the iris. This mutation, found in all blue-eyed people, ...
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