Yes, DNA can tell eye color. Eye color is determined by variations in a person's genes, specifically those involved in the production, transport, or storage of melanin, the pigment responsible for eye color. Scientists have identified multiple genes associated with eye color and can predict eye color with a high degree of accuracy based on an individual's DNA.
Several studies have demonstrated the ability to predict eye color from DNA:
- AncestryDNA uses over 7,000 DNA markers linked to eye color to determine an individual's eye color.
- HIrisPlex-S DNA test system can simultaneously predict eye, hair, and skin color phenotypes from DNA.
- Manfred Kayser's research at Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam showed that eye color can be predicted with over 90% accuracy.
These advancements in forensic DNA phenotyping allow for more accurate predictions of physical traits from DNA samples, which can be particularly helpful in forensic investigations.
