It might be wild to imagine, but every blue-eyed person in the world can actually trace their lineage back to a single person who lived thousands of years ago.
If you’ve ever studied genealogy or perused your family tree, then you’ll probably already know that you’re related to some pretty interesting people.
There also may be a chance that at some point one of your ancestors was famous or just important enough to have a Wikipedia article uploaded in their honor.
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While you may be unique, there will also be common traits you share with plenty of other people across the globe.
At one point, you may come across your doppelgänger, or just stumble upon someone who has the same nose shape or facial structure as yourself.
Take eye colour for example - we’re sure you’ve heard the myth going around that claims all babies are born with blue eyes.
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While this rumour isn't actually true, it is known that a baby’s eye color may change as they mature.
However, if you or your child does have blue eyes, then you and every other azure-eyed person share a common ancestor who lived around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Yes, this is a pretty wide window of time to pin down a single life, but researchers have discovered that there is something in our eyes called the OCA2 gene.
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This essentially works to determine how much brown pigment you will have.
Those with blue eyes also have a gene called HERC2, which successfully shuts off the OCA2 and sees the carrier developing blue peepers.
Scientists have concluded that every blue-eyed person - whether cerulean or sapphire - has the HERC2 gene.
Interestingly, this mutation has been passed down through multiple generations and it’s been claimed that it all came from a single common ancestor.
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Researchers at the University of Copenhagen identified the initial mutation and later announced that the HERC2 gene was present in everyone with blue eyes.
So, if you have them or know someone else who does, you now know that if you go far back enough, you’re family.
Though, the same thing could be said for any blue-eyed person you pass on the street.
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But don’t worry, since this common ancestor lived more than 6,000 years ago, it’s probably safe to assume you’re not too closely related.
Therefore, no need to feel obliged to include between eight and 10 percent of the world’s population in your ‘Happy New Year’ text chain.
Ella Scott