skip to content skip to search skip to navigation Listen Live skip to logon

Why do people have different coloured eyes?

eyes.jpgQuestion

My 10-year-old daughter wants to know: why do people have different coloured eyes and why can't you see the colour through your own eyes?
Karen, Maidstone

Answer

Name: Rebecca, Slough
Qualification: Mutation expert
Answer: It's to do with genetic mutation. When the species first evolved, we all had brown eyes, which helped protect them from the brightness and heat. But then, as we moved out of Africa to live elsewhere, a genetic mutation appeared which caused blue eyes to pop up. It spread through the population quickly as it was a desirable trait.

In this Section