# All blue-eyed people share one common ancestor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-blue-eyed-people-share-one-common-ancestor/979066>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 30, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-blue-eyed-people-share-one-common-ancestor/979066 "2023-01-30T19:07:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-blue-eyed-people-share-one-common-ancestor/979066/11 "2023-01-30T20:07:05Z")

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> [@Riemann](#):
>
> The fact that all copies of a _gene_ are descended from a single copy of that gene does not imply that one _individual_ is the sole ancestor of everyone who carries that trait. That person is just one of their many ancestors.

Yeah, this.

Relevant prior thread:

> [@Single Common Ancestor doesn't mean the others died!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-common-ancestor-doesnt-mean-the-others-died/435870):
>
> A recurrent misconception cropping up over and over again. Some news report comes out to the effect “Every human on the face of the earth had an ancestor in common x, xxx, xxx years ago, says scientist”. Gee, say various and sun-dried people, imagine that, just think of all the other people on the face of the earth back then, and only this dude’s progeny made it! :smack: :smack: :smack: a) It’s not so amazing\*. I have 2 parents, had 4 grandparents, 8 gread-grandparents, 16 ancestors in t…

The data doesn’t show that none of these folks _other_ ancestors had blue eyes. It says that all of these folks are related to this one common ancestor.

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