Amber eyes are one of the rarest and most beautiful eye colors in the world. While most people have brown, blue, green, or hazel eyes, amber eyes only appear in a very small percentage of the population. But are amber eyes truly a naturally occurring eye color or are they simply a variation of another color? The answer is complex and fascinating.
What Causes Eye Color
The color of our eyes is determined by the amount of melanin pigment in the iris. Melanin comes in two forms: eumelanin which produces brown/black pigment, and pheomelanin which produces red/yellow pigment. Most human irises contain a mixture of both eumelanin and pheomelanin, but the specific ratio determines the final eye color.
Brown eyes contain a lot of eumelanin but very little pheomelanin, while blue eyes contain much less eumelanin but have a bit more pheomelanin. Green eyes have a more even ratio of both. Hazel eyes shift between brown and green depending on lighting conditions.
Amber eyes are unique because they appear to contain very high levels of pheomelanin while having very little eumelanin pigment. This causes the eye to take on a brilliant copper, gold, or reddish-yellow tone.
Amber Eyes are Rare
Only about 1% of the world’s population has amber eyes. They are most commonly found among people of Asian descent and are rarely seen in Caucasian or African races. The highest concentrations of amber eyes are found in parts of Southern Asia such as Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka where they appear in about 10% of the native peoples.
Are Amber Eyes Truly Natural?
There has been some debate over whether amber eyes represent a true genetic eye color or are just a variation of other colors. While amber eyes clearly contain high levels of pheomelanin, some eye experts argue this is just the result of having a small amount of brown eumelanin in the iris as well.
Others counter that amber eyes are the result of a rare mutation that leads to abnormally high pheomelanin concentration and truly deserve to be classified as a distinct eye color. But scientifically proving whether amber is a separate eye color or just a multi-gened subtype of brown has been difficult.
Other Factors that Influence Amber Eyes
While genetics play the biggest role in determining amber eye color, some other factors can also influence an amber eye’s hue and brightness:
- Lighting conditions – Amber eyes contain a lot of light-scattering pheomelanin and can shift slightly in brightness and shade depending on the lighting. Bright sunlight often makes amber eyes appear more golden while dim indoor lighting can make them look darker and redder.
- Age – Amber eyes often appear more coppery and burnished in childhood but seem to oxidize and darken slightly to a more brownish, honey-gold shade by adulthood as melanin levels change.
- Injuries – Heterochromia (two different eye colors) can sometimes occur in people with amber eyes if physical trauma to the iris causes a loss of pigment.
- Diseases – Certain rare genetic diseases such as ocular albinism can also trigger changes in melanin production that may impact the appearance of amber eyes.
Amber Eyes in Animals
Amber eye color is not unique to humans and also appears in a number of animal species. Here are some animals that may display amber eyes:
| Animal | Notes on Amber Eyes |
|---|---|
| Wolves | Amber eyes are common in Arctic and gray wolves, resulting from high pheomelanin |
| Cows | Amber eyes appear in some breeds of dairy cattle such as Jersey cows |
| Bears | Cinnamon black bears often display amber eyes and muzzles |
| Cats | The golden eye color in cats is caused by high pheomelanin levels |
| Reptiles | Some lizards and snakes may exhibit amber-colored eyes depending on diet and environment |
Conclusion
While the science is still unclear whether amber eyes represent a distinct genetic trait or are just a unique subtype of another eye color, their stunning golden appearance remains captivating. The rarity of amber eyes adds to their mystic allure, but also makes properly studying them challenging. One thing that is certain though is that amber eyes result from unusually high levels of pheomelanin pigment that gives them their luminous and warm hue. Their variegated mix of shades ranging from copper to honey-gold to reddish-yellow reflects the complex interplay of genetics, melanin, and other factors that influence this rare eye color.
