Eye colour & Evolution

[Tormod]

I've heard it said that we associate blonde hair and blue eyes with youth and thus health which may lead to a subconscious selection based on perceived fitness to breed.

 

Define "we" in this statement. AFAIK most cultures on this planet have populations with predominantly brown eyes.

 

From wikipedia:

"The vast majority of the world's people have dark eyes, ranging from brown to nearly black."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color

[Boerseun]

Blue eyed, migraine plagued, here.

I'm not sure whether there's any truth to it, to the best of my knowledge it's folk wisdom - but I've heard it too often from too many people to simply discount it as such. If dark-eyed people suffer from headaches and migraines more than light-eyed people, it makes sense that it will be selected against, no? So if you're talking about yourself, how do your light-eyed friends and family stack up on the headache Richter-scale? Heard any anecdotes regarding eye colour and headaches?

[InfiniteNow]

If dark-eyed people suffer from headaches and migraines more than light-eyed people, it makes sense that it will be selected against, no?

Your logic implies that we would find potential mates who have headaches less attractive. While some of the behavioral side effects of the headache may make them less attractive :D I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Dunno... :evil:

[Tormod]

Heard any anecdotes regarding eye colour and headaches?

 

Frankly, never. But then again I live in a country where most of the population have blue eyes...:evil:

[Boerseun]

Your logic implies that we would find potential mates who have headaches less attractive. While some of the behavioral side effects of the headache may make them less attractive :D I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Dunno... :evil:

Kind sir, I will duly, in all respect and kindness, refer you respectfully and kindly, to my previous post in this here thread:

After all, you can't fight a wolf or a bear or a lion as effectively as a brown-eyed dude if you're struck with a migraine

So, T, aspirin sells well in Norway, no? :hyper:

[Tormod]

So, T, aspirin sells well in Norway, no? :evil:

 

I think we're the Ibuprofen Nation. :D

[Pyrotex]

...Don't fornicate with the ugly eyed people and there'll be less ugly eyed people, in theory. Good luck defining "ugly eyed people."

Help me!

 

I see ugly-eyed people everywhere!! :(

[HydrogenBond]

Blue eyed people are more light sensitive than brown eyed people. People who live in northern countries like Norway, have lower average sunlight, making blue eyes less of a problem. The higher sensitivity to light exhibited by blue eyed people may imply higher sensitivity at lower light levels making them more adapted to the long winter nights.

 

There are few indigenous blue eyed people along the equator where seasonal light levels are at the highest. Almost all are brown eyed, which are the least sensitive to high light levels. Maybe migration and physical attraction to the opposite eye colors, resulted in green eyes being more common at mid latitude.

 

In color mixing of paint pigments, all browns can be made with dark blue (black), yellow and red. Lighter shades of brown typically contain more yellow and less black and red, i.e, mid lattidue brown eyes. In the color scale the opposite of blue is neutral orange. If blue and middle orange combine they make gray. If one person had light brown eyes or the yellow side of brown with less red (yellow-orange) the result of color blending (blue eyes and light brown eyes) would be gray-green eyes.