Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
11:57
Measuring Spatially- and Directionally-varying Light Scattering from Biological Material
Published on: May 20, 2013
Technical note: quantitative measures of iris color using high resolution photographs
Melissa Edwards1, Agnes Gozdzik, Kendra Ross
1Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|November 22, 2011
Summary
A new automated method quantifies iris color using high-resolution photographs. This technique reveals significant genetic associations with eye color across diverse ancestries, including South Asians, expanding our understanding of pigmentation genetics.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Ophthalmology
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Understanding the genetic basis of human iris color is limited.
- Quantitative measurement of eye color has been a significant challenge.
- Existing methods lack the precision for detailed genetic analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce an automated, high-resolution photographic method for quantitative iris color measurement.
- To analyze iris color variation across diverse ancestral groups (East Asian, European, South Asian).
- To investigate the association of the HERC2 rs12913832 polymorphism with iris color variation.
Main Methods:
- Development of an automated system using high-resolution photographs to measure iris color.
- Color extraction in the CIE 1976 L*a*b* (CIELAB) color space from a standardized iris region.
- Genotyping of the HERC2 rs12913832 polymorphism in study participants.
Main Results:
- Substantial variation in CIELAB color parameters was observed across all ancestral groups.
- The HERC2 rs12913832 polymorphism significantly correlated with quantitative iris color in Europeans.
- A strong association between rs12913832 and iris color was found in South Asians, despite the absence of blue irides.
Conclusions:
- The automated CIELAB measurement method provides a robust tool for quantitative iris color analysis.
- The HERC2 rs12913832 polymorphism influences iris pigmentation beyond blue eye color, even in populations lacking blue irides.
- This methodology can be extended to study genetic variations in iris texture, offering new avenues in human population genetics.
