If you have blue eyes, you help make up the 16% of the US population that has blue peepers. However, the prevalence of blue eyes is decreasing with time as interracial relationships become more common, especially in the United States. (Did you know that at the beginning of the 20th century, about 50% of Americans had blue eyes?) Here are more facts about blue eyes that may surprise you.

1. Because blue eyes have less pigmentation, people with blue eyes are more prone to photophobia, or light sensitivity. If you find yourself squinting in the sunlight, consider wearing sunglasses with UV protection or a wide-brimmed hat.

2. Blue-eyed people can be considered mutants! At one point in time, all people had brown eyes, but a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene "turned off" the ability to produce melanin (pigment). This mutation occurred between six and ten thousand years ago and can be traced to a single person, which means that all blue-eyed people share a common ancestor.

3. The countries where blue eyes are most common are Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia and the Baltic States. Blue eyes are rare in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Southern Europe.

4. A 2007 British study found that people with blue eyes are better at strategic thinking, generally outperforming their dark-eyed counterparts in tasks that required long-term thought.

5. It's entirely possible for two blue-eyed parents to have a brown-eyed child. Similarly, it's possible for two brown-eyed parents to have a blue-eyed child.

Human Eye Color Charts [All About Vision]
Reasons to Feel Good About Having Blue Eyes [Mental Floss]
Blue-Eyed Humans Have A Single, Common Ancestor [Human N Health]
Myth or Fact: People with Light Eyes are More Sensitive to Sunlight [Duke Health]