We are used to kittens having blue eyes when they first open them, which turn to yellow, green, or brown after a couple of months. This happens in human babies, too, more than you'd expect. In one study, a third of newborns eyes had changed color by the time they were two years old. The most common change was baby blue eyes to turn darker, but there were some cases of infant eye color changing to a lighter hue. When eyes turn from blue to brown, hazel, or green, it's because the body is depositing more melanin into the iris. But the change isn't restricted to babies... some people's eye color changes during childhood or even early adulthood. Scientists still don't know why these changes take place after infancy, but suspect it's a combination of genetics and environment.
The color of one's eyes can change in adulthood, too, for several reasons. An infection can alter the amount of melanin in the eyes. Actress Mila Kunis suffered an infection that caused her left eye to turn green while her right eye remained brown. One Ebola infection survivor's eyes turned from blue to green because the virus remained in his eyes after it left the rest of his body. Read about the many ways eyes can change color at BBC Future. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: Natjja4)
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