Crowd Facts: mutation

There is a genetic mutation that causes a person to have two rows of eyelashes.

The reason for this was a genetic mutation. Having double rows of eyelashes is usually the result of a mutation at the FOXC2 gene, a gene that influences kinds of tissue development in embryos.

Though having extra eyelashes was certainly helpful to Elizabeth Taylor’s appearance and career (as she too had this mutation), it carries another problem.

Lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome, caused by the mutation, is a hereditary disease that can cause disorders of the lymphatic system. This actually contributed to Elizabeth Taylor’s death last year, which was due to heart problems.

The extra eyelashes also aren’t always a good thing. Often, they can grow inward, and if you’ve ever had an ingrown hair, you know one of the last places you’d want one is the eye. They could also grow in the wrong direction and damage the cornea. So with the added risk of heart problems, perhaps the aesthetic value isn’t worth the envy.

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Not all Asians have “smaller” eyes. This mainly applies to East Asians. Their eyes aren’t technically smaller, either. They simply have an extra patch of skin called an epithelial fold above their eyes.

That fold allows them to protect their eyes against extreme cold and fierce winds that occur in Tibet. Average annual snowfall is 18 inches and the land is severely dry 9 months out of the year.

The epithelial fold is simply the way they adapted to their environment. Tibet is where the ancestors of many East Asians lived for tens of thousands of years before migrating to warmer places. The epithelial fold, however, is part of the DNA now and so continues to be a trademark of East Asians.

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