Angelina Jolie and Aishwarya Rai, among the most beautiful women in the world, have always been compared because of their looks. Now they are both back in the news for a different reason. They are being looked at as possible cousins, or at least having a common ancestor. Why? Because of the blue color of their eyes.
The Journal of Human Genetics reports that scientists studying eye color at the University of Copenhagen have found that more than 99.5 per cent of blue-eyed people who volunteered to have their DNA analyzed have the same tiny mutation in the gene that determines the color of the iris. The study suggests that the mutation originated in just one person who evidently became the ancestor of all blue-eyed people.
According to this new study, all people with blue eyes can trace their ancestry back to one person who probably lived about 10,000 years ago in the Black Sea region.

As quoted in the UK based publication, The Independent, “Hans Eiberg of the University of Copenhagen said that brown is the “default” color for human eyes which results from a build-up of the dark skin pigment, melanin. However, in northern Europe a mutation arose that disrupted melanin production in the iris and caused the eye color to turn blue.”
The Independent also reports that Professor Eiberg had analyzed the DNA of about 800 people with blue eyes, ranging from fair-skinned, blond-haired Scandinavians to dark-skinned, blue-eyed people living in Turkey and Jordan. “All of them, apart from possibly one exception, had exactly the same DNA sequence in the region of the OCA2 gene. This to me indicates very strongly that there must have been a single, common ancestor of all these people,” he said.
At a public gathering, Aishwarya Rai when asked about this new relationship, is reported by the website “Andhra Café” to have said, “This is crazy.” The surprised actress is reported to have broken into peals of laughter.
Sounds amusing, but, look at the similarities–the same DNA sequence, blue eyes, vying to be the most beautiful woman in the world, center of media attention, and both proficient actresses. You never know!
–written by Visi Tilak