Golden eyes are a rare and beautiful eye color resulting from high levels of lipochrome pigment in the iris. They are one of the rarest eye colors in the world, occurring in less than 1% of the global population. While golden eyes may seem mystical and exotic, there are some scientific reasons behind their striking appearance.
Here are some key facts about golden eyes:
| Cause | High levels of lipochrome pigment in the iris |
| Genetics | Mutation in HERC2 gene + parents must carry recessive traits |
| Rarity | Less than 1% of global population |
| Regions | Most common in Northern/Eastern Europe |
In this article, we’ll explore what exactly causes eyes to be golden, the genetics behind this rare trait, just how uncommon golden eyes are worldwide, and in which populations they occur most frequently. We’ll also look at some famous people with golden eyes and debunk myths about them being supernatural.
What Causes Golden Eyes?
So what gives golden eyes their distinct color? The answer lies in the amount and quality of melanin pigment within the iris.
Melanin is what determines eye color. It comes in two forms:
1. Eumelanin – Dark brown melanin
2. Pheomelanin – Red/yellow melanin
Everyone has some pheomelanin in their eyes. But most people have high levels of eumelanin as well, which makes their eyes appear brown or dark hazel.
Golden eyes occur when the iris contains little-to-no eumelanin, but high levels of pheomelanin. This causes the yellow/gold shade to stand out vibrantly.
The rich golden/amber hue is also intensified by light scattering off a lack of melanin in the iris. Less melanin produces clearer, transparent layers in the iris that light can pass through.
So in summary, the high concentration of pheomelanin combined with low levels of eumelanin give golden eyes their rare, striking color.
Genetics Behind Golden Eyes
Genetically, golden eyes arise from two factors:
1. A mutation in the HERC2 gene for melanin production
2. Inheriting recessive traits from both parents
The HERC2 gene provides instructions for making a protein involved in eye pigmentation. A mutated version of this gene significantly reduces melanin production.
But a mutation in HERC2 alone doesn’t guarantee golden eyes. This is because eye color is controlled by multiple genes.
For golden eyes to occur, a person must inherit two copies of the recessive traits associated with reduced melanin, one from each parent. This combination eliminates eumelanin while boosting pheomelanin.
If one parent contributes dominant eye color genes instead, the child is extremely unlikely to have golden eyes. Both parents must carry and pass on the recessive traits.
So in genetic terms, golden eyes are a polygenic recessive trait controlled by HERC2 gene mutations and recessive inheritance from both sides of the family.
How Rare Are Golden Eyes?
Golden eyes are incredibly rare globally. They are found in less than 1% of the world’s population.
To put this in perspective, here is the distribution of eye colors worldwide:
| Brown eyes | 79% |
| Blue eyes | 8-10% |
| Green eyes | 2% |
| Hazel eyes | 5% |
| Gray eyes | 1% |
| Amber/Golden eyes | Less than 1% |
As these statistics show, golden eyes are far rarer than common colors like brown and blue eyes. They are also less prevalent than green, hazel and gray eyes.
This extreme rarity arises from the very specific genetic combination needed to produce high pheomelanin and low eumelanin levels. Most people do not inherit these two recessive traits.
So if you see someone with vibrant golden eyes, you are looking at an appearance found in less than 1 out of every 100 people worldwide. It is a genuinely rare phenomenon.
Where Are Golden Eyes Most Common?
Although globally rare, golden eyes appear more frequently in certain geographic and ethnic populations.
Regions where golden eyes are most prevalent include:
– Northern Europe
– Eastern Europe
– Central Asia
– Middle East
In particular, countries like Finland, Estonia, and Latvia have higher percentages of golden eyes.
This distribution is linked to pheomelanin. Populations around the Baltic Sea tend to have the highest levels of pheomelanin in the world. Combined with intermarriage and isolation, this created favorable conditions for golden eyes to persist.
The presence of Herc2 gene mutations plus recessive traits also remained concentrated in these Northern and Eastern European groups.
By contrast, Africa has relatively few golden eyes. Due to stronger solar radiation near the equator, melanin production evolved to be high in African populations, which made golden eyes an extremely rare occurrence.
So while globally uncommon, golden eyes can be found with higher frequency among groups of European descent, especially around the Baltic region.
Famous People with Golden Eyes
While still rare, golden eyes do occasionally appear in celebrities and public figures. Some famous people with golden eyes include:
– Alexander Skarsgård – Swedish actor
– Chase Crawford – American actor
– Lizzy Caplan – American actress
– Amar’e Stoudemire – NBA basketball player
– David Bowie – British musician
– Jazmyn – American model
Alexander Skarsgård and Chase Crawford clearly demonstrate the Northern European ancestry associated with golden eyes, being of Swedish and East European descent respectively.
Other golden-eyed celebrities span diverse backgrounds, from African American (Stoudemire) to British (Bowie). But they all share the special genetics allowing pheomelanin to dominate their iris pigmentation.
So while the famous tend to have more common eye colors, golden eyes do appear in public figures across various ethnicities.
Myths and Misconceptions
Golden eyes are sometimes associated with supernatural myths and misconceptions. Common myths include:
– Werewolves – In folklore, werewolves were said to have golden eyes.
– Witchcraft – Witches were historically believed to have golden/amber eyes.
– Vampires – Some fictional tales describe vampires with glowing golden eyes.
– Animal Eyes – Cats, wolves, hawks are said to have cursed human offspring with golden eyes.
– Evil – Golden eyes are seen as eerie and associated with evil forces.
Of course, there is no scientific evidence supporting any of these myths. Golden eyes have a purely genetic cause not related to magic, shapeshifting, curses, or moral character.
In fact, these myths often arose due to golden eyes being viewed as strange and uncanny compared to more common eye colors. But today we understand the genetics behind this rare trait.
So while mystically beautiful, golden eyes have a biological basis, not a supernatural one. They should be appreciated for their uniqueness, not feared.
Conclusion
In summary, golden eyes are one of the rarest human eye colors, resulting from specific melanin conditions. A mutation in the HERC2 gene coupled with recessive inheritance leads to high pheomelanin and low eumelanin levels in the iris.
Globally, golden eyes occur in less than 1% of people. But they appear more frequently in populations around the Baltic Sea and Northern/Eastern Europe. Though unusual, golden eyes also sporadically arise in celebrities across many ethnic backgrounds.
Once associated with supernatural myths, today the genetics of golden eyes are well understood. Their exotic beauty arises from biology, not mysticism. So golden eyes should be admired for their extreme rarity and captivating appearance.
