Most people wouldn’t be happy to be termed as mutants unless they are into the X-Men.
The truth is that we are all mutants. Evolution has led to the mutations responsible for our large brains and opposable thumbs. However, there are some exceptional and rare mutations. This article presents 8 of the most beautiful genetic anomalies in the history of mankind.
1. Distichiasis or Double Eyelashes
This disorder is characterized by an extra row of eyelashes that make your lashes look thicker than usual. It happens when hair grows on your waterline where your oil glands are supposed to be. Sometimes this disorder makes people look more beautiful. People like Liz Taylor are famous for their distichiasis. However, the extra eyelashes may cause inconvenience.
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2. Piebaldism
This mutation occurs when a specific part of the skin lacks the melanocyte cells responsible for producing melanin. About 90% of the people with this condition have a white streak at their hairline and the streak might continue onto their skin. Some white patches may also appear on the body. We don’t know why these patches tend to be symmetrical across a person’s body. Piebaldism looks like vitiligo, but the white patches are unlikely to spread after birth.
3. Heterochromia
The term heterochromia iridum simply refers to eyes with different colors. Complete heterochromia occurs if both eyes have different colors while segmental heterochromia occurs if areas of the same iris have totally different colors. Central heterochromia is characterized by spikes of different colors radiating from the pupil. The irony is that people think that it is caused by the absence of genetic diversity.
4. Cleft Chin
This gorgeous mutation occurs when the chin bone fails to develop properly. The visible “cleft” occurs when the two sections of the jawbone fail to fuse properly. However, this problem does not have any negative effects. No one knows how it is inherited, but it is more likely to appear in men than women. The chances of inheriting it through a simple recessive or dominant model are also low.
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5. Vitiligo
Vitiligo is similar to piebaldism because it is characterized by skin patches without pigment. The main difference is that vitiligo is degenerative because the patches tend to spread over the years. Scientists are yet to find an explanation for this phenomenon, but it is usually associated with genetic problems that result from environmental stress. Vitiligo is a mutation that affects about 1% of our population.
6. Freckles
This is a common mutation and persons with heavy freckles usually have a different type of melanin known as photomelanin (copper-orange), as opposed to eumelanin (brown). Eumelanin makes as tan when exposed to the sun. Red hair may also grow due to photomelanin and this is why many redheads have freckles. We still don’t know how people inherit photomelanin and this is why redheads emerge from nowhere in families.
7. Human Eye Color Variation
One of the most beautiful body features occurs when the rich brown color of the human eyes turns to pale green. However, blue eyes occur due to a single mutation between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. In 2008, genetics discovered that a common ancestor was responsible for the gene associated with blue eyes. The ancestor had a genetic switch that could turn off eye pigment.
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8. Tetrachromat Vision
There are three types of cone cells that receive light in most humans and this is why humans tend to have better vision than other mammals.
According to some researchers, the X chromosomes contain the genes responsible for cone pigments and this is why tetrachromat vision is likely to occur in women. They have 4 cones meaning that they can process more colors than the ordinary human being.
According to the 2010 study conducted by Dr. Gabriele Jordan, a woman exhibited the signs of tetrachromat vision.
Tetrachromat vision is a rare mutation that is less likely to make you look attractive, but it makes your world look more beautiful. In any case, beauty lies in the beholder’s eyes. Right?
