: 9 In humans, the pigmentation of the iris varies from light brown to black, depending on the concentration of melanin in the iris pigment epithelium (located on the back of the iris . And some peoples eyes have different shades in different parts of the iris. This one person with a genetic mutation had children, and the trait was passed to the next generation. Norway. [10][11] However, OCA2 gene polymorphism, close to proximal 5' regulatory region, explains most human eye-color variation. If you have a darker iris color, you are at a greater risk of developing this eye disease. Persons with albinism have very little or no melanin in the iris. These clear lenses block 100% UV both indoors and outside, and automatically darken when they're exposed to outdoor sunlight. ", "Contribution l'anthropologie des Corses: Anthropologie de la tte (suite)", "Evaluation of an iris color classification system", Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, "Subspecies comparison of the Genus: Corucia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eye_color&oldid=1140743886. 207,208 - (1968), Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:18, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Phenotypes and Genotypes for human eye colors. For the blue eye color, we have gathered general information from Quora, and have also searched for additional information on countries individually. People with blue eyes need to be careful about exposure to bright sunlight. Sitting sixth on this list, Denmark's population is 60 percent blue-eyed. [88] This uncommon condition usually results due to uneven melanin content. That is, they certainly are not the tallest (although tall enough being behind one of the tallest countries like Germany or Netherlands), and the researches concerning eye color are not precise enough as we have noted in the introduction. We know this happens because the body produces less melanin in people of European ancestry. Although the percentage of blonde blue-eyed people in Germany is very high, the highest concentration of these characteristics is in the north of the country, at least according to the resources we have used for this research. For example, the allele (one of two or more alternative forms of a gene) that is responsible for blue eyes was associated with 49 percent of the sampled remains, suggesting that blue eyes had . From 6-36 months, cells in the iris start producing melanin and the eye color will change. The Greek goddess Athene appears with gray eyes (). Keep that 70-79% global estimate for brown eyes in mind when you look at the numbers below from a study in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics.. Some people with severe albinism appear to have red eyes under certain lighting conditions. While ocular melanomas may happen at any age, the risk goes up as you get older. Studies on Caucasian twins, both fraternal and identical, have shown that eye color over time can be subject to change, and major demelanization of the iris may also be genetically determined. "But a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a 'switch,' which literally turned off the ability to produce brown eyes.". Medicaid: Eligibility and Vision Benefits. One thing that truly sets people apart is their eye color. Blue is the most common eye colour in Britain, researchers found. Instead, they have less melanin, absorb less light, scatter more light and reflect it along the spectrum of light color. Occasionally, heterochromia can be a sign of a serious medical condition. Iceland, the northernmost country of the bunch, has the greatest percentage of people with blue eyes. Although hazel mostly consists of brown and green, the dominant color in the eye can either be brown/gold or green. A mosaic can have two different colored eyes if the DNA difference happens to be in an eye-color gene. At one time, it was believed that eye color, blue eyes included, was a simple genetic trait. Ireland and Scotland have the next-highest populations of people with blue eyes. By Steve Asbell on 15 Jan 2019. Eye color results from the amount of pigment (melanin) you have in the front layer (stroma). Eye melanoma is known to be more common for those with fair skin and light-colored eyes. Globally, brown is the most common eye color. This damage will cause your vision to become blurrier and more distorteda condition called macular degeneration. The mutation, A111T, is found most commonly in Ireland and all . [83], Eye color outside of the iris may also be symptomatic of disease. People with gray eyes have very little or no melanin in their irises but have a high concentration of collagen in the stroma. Both parents have to pass along the blue eye gene in order for their child to have blue eyes. Worldwide, fewer than 9% of people have blue eyes. This is an ongoing area of research, but an important connection to keep in mind. The number of cylindrical cells is more than the number of color receptors and reaches about 120 million; cone cells, which are smaller in number than light receptors, have color vision and are divided into three distinct categories, each of which recognizes one of the colors blue, red, and green, allowing the individual to distinguish colors. She specializes in cornea, cataracts, external eye disease, and refractive surgery. With a 75.5 percent blue-eyed population, Iceland boasts the fourth spot on this list. The stunning combination of blue eyes and sandy brown or blonde hair is much sought after in other countries, but very much the norm here. They look blue because of how light is reflected. Your genes determine whether you have blue eyes. The authors note, "Despite brown eyes ranking at the bottom of our perceived attraction scale, approximately 79% of the world's population sports melanin-rich eyes. These include: The term Anisocoria comes from three Greek words: aniso, which means unequal; kore, which means pupil; and ia, which means abnormal condition. [24], Almost all mammals have brown or darkly-pigmented irises. Some eyes have a dark ring around the iris, called a limbal ring. So, the more melanin you have, the darker your eyes appear. Many babies born with blue eyes experience a change in color as more pigment develops within the first three years. Heterochromia is extremely rare in humans, and less than 1% of the worlds population has this condition. One mutation 10,000 years ago has today resulted in almost 200 million pairs of blue eyes, and people with blue eyes have more blue-eyed children. Krystina is a Technical Writer with a background in healthcare. Your pupil is the small black opening in the center. Although these conditions cannot permanently change the color of the iris, they generally affect the eyes sclera or cornea. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. (An estimated 55 percent of all people . An iris that appears blue under this method of observation is more likely to remain blue as the infant ages. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43] The combination can sometimes produce a multicolored iris, i.e., an eye that is light brown/amber near the pupil and charcoal or dark green on the outer part of the iris (or vice versa) when observed in sunlight. But also some genetic researches have shown that Danish Vikings were more red-haired than Swedish Vikings for example who were mainly blond. - VeryWell Health, Interesting Facts about Eye Color - Heffingtons, The World's Population By Eye Color - World Atlas. European Americans with recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry account for 16% of people with green eyes. [101], As the perception of color depends on viewing conditions (e.g., the amount and kind of illumination, as well as the hue of the surrounding environment), so does the perception of eye color. Iris color and associated pathological ocular complications: a review of epidemiologic studies. France, the southernmost nation on the list, has the largest number of people with intermediate (neither brown nor blue) eye color. [91], Iris color can provide a large amount of information about a person, and a classification of colors may be useful in documenting pathological changes or determining how a person may respond to ocular pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Icelanders are very passionate about supporting their sports teams! [27] Green eyes contain the yellowish pigment lipochrome.[52]. Icelandic people demonstrate a strong national pride in preserving their culture. Eye Color 101. [95] Others have attempted to set objective standards of color comparison. There are two main genes on chromosome 15 that determine a person's eye color: OCA2 and HERC2. Blue eyes are an inherited trait. Are Blue-Eyed People More Likely to Get Macular Degeneration? Brown is the most common eye color in the United States, just as it is globally. For just about everyone, the back layer of each eye is brown. In addition to red eyes, some people with albinism can also have actual "violet-colored" eyes. Nevertheless, both figures leave Estonia among the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population. In contrast, more than 50 percent of the global population is believed to have brown eyes. [55] Eiberg and colleagues suggested in a study published in Human Genetics that a mutation in the 86th intron of the HERC2 gene, which is hypothesized to interact with the OCA2 gene promoter, reduced expression of OCA2 with subsequent reduction in melanin production. About 5% of the worlds population have hazel eyes. (The name of the gene is derived from the disorder it causes, oculocutaneous albinism type II.) Hazel 5-8%. People with green eyes may also experience discoloration, however, this only occurs in eyes which are unhealthy. Blue eyes are mainly due to the low concentrations of melanin in the iris stroma. [54] In 2008, new research tracked down one genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. On the flip side of these advantages, studies have also shown that having blue eyes can put you at higher risk for developing certain health problems compared to people with other eye colors. This is why many babies are born with blue eyes, only to have their eye color change as their irises develop more melanin throughout early childhood. While eye color is not a defining characteristic of a person, it can be interesting to see how the distribution of different colors varies from place to place. Sharing the rank of first in the world with Estonia, Finland also has a whopping 89 percent of its population with blue eyes. Although people with lighter eye color are generally more sensitive to light because they have less pigment in the iris to protect them from sunlight, there is little to no evidence that eye color has a direct impact on vision qualities such as visual acuity. Bookmark Quiz Bookmark Quiz Bookmark. Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! Researchers believe there is one ancestor responsible for blue eyes that descended from the Black Sea region of southeastern Europe anywhere between 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Is eye color determined by genetics? One more usual hair color is red, and also green eye color, being among the rarest in the world. Since many people with blue eye color are more sensitive to light and may have a higher risk of retinal damage from UV rays, eye doctors often recommend that people with blue eyes be a little more cautious about their exposure to sunlight. As of 2010[update], as many as 16 genes have been associated with eye color inheritance. Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! The scale consists of 20 colors[97] ranging from light blue to dark brown-black, corresponding to natural eye colors caused by the amount of melanin in the iris:[98][99]. Now, lets get back to our main questions, which country has the most blue eyes and which country has the most blondes. . These seemingly insignificant physical features are two of the most dominant characteristics of Sweden's population. A team of scientists has tracked down a genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. The green color is from a combination of a blue hue from Rayleigh scattering and "yellow" from the yellow pigment called lipochrome. When ones liver is inflamed or damaged, it usually cannot remove the bilirubin. It's also the story of the bond she fights to maintain with her 10 year-old sister, Arina. In cases of central Heterochromia, the irises are identical, but there is a ring of different colors around the pupil. Image credit: Aleksandar Mijatovic via Shutterstock. Brown eyes in an otherwise mostly light-eyed region may point to a genetic leftover and a time in history during which everyone in the world had brown eyes. In severe forms of albinism, there is no pigment on the back of the iris, and light from inside the eye can pass through the iris to the front. Since we are slowly coming to the epicenter top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage ofpopulation, Denmark is the first country of Vikings that we come by. But lets not get things too scientific at this point. [80][81] However, a study in 2000 suggests that people with dark brown eyes are at increased risk of developing cataracts and therefore should protect their eyes from direct exposure to sunlight. Green eyes: The most attractive eye color? Heterochromia (heterochromia iridum or heterochromia iridis) is an eye condition in which one iris is a different color from the other (complete heterochromia), or where a part of one iris is a different color from the remainder (partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia). On average, they have 90,000 strands, while blondes . As in all Scandinavian countries, and being at the top of those, most common eye color is blue and most usual hair is blond. Melanin is also responsible for the color of our skin, eyes and hair. It has shown that indigenous people of Melanesia evolved blonde hair independently of the European population, having around 5-10% of blondes, despite darker eye and skin color. Whats the Difference Between Vitiligo and Albinism? Eye color in non-human animals is regulated differently. Blue eyes are more concentrated in certain regions than others. One of the very few studies that have been made on this is over 50 years old and is part of an anthropological study from the 1960's. The study concluded that somewhere between 50 and 80 percent . Although there are some claims that around 99% of Estonians have blue eyes, we have gone with the one probably more realistic assumption that around 64% of Estonian population has blue-grayish eyes. Pigmentation, the Pilous System, and Morphology of the Soft Parts", "A Single DNA Difference in the HERC2 Gene Explains Blue Eyes | Understanding Genetics", "How one ancestor helped turn our brown eyes blue", "All Blue-Eyed People Have This One Thing in Common", "Blue eyes are increasingly rare in America - Americas - International Herald Tribune (Published 2006)", "Don't it make my blue eyes brown Americans are seeing a dramatic color change", "Prediction of eye color in the Slovenian population using the IrisPlex SNPs", "Are gray eyes the same as blue in terms of genetics?". The top layer, called the epithelium, is where the melanin (pigment) that gives an eye its color lives. Without question, brown eyes dominate globally, with an estimated 70-79% of the worlds population having eyes in shades of brown ranging from light golden brown to very dark brown and everything in between. [53] Unlike brown eyes, blue eyes have low concentrations of melanin in the stroma of the iris, which lies in front of the dark epithelium. [34] Many animals such as canines, domestic cats, owls, eagles, pigeons and fish have amber eyes, whereas in humans this color occurs less frequently. Another hypothesis about heterochromia is that it can result from a viral infection in utero affecting the development of one eye, possibly through some sort of genetic mutation. In fact, only about 17 percent of the world's population has blue eyes. Because melanocyte cells continually produce pigment, in theory eye color can be changed. Blue eyes are also found in southern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa and West Asia. [91] However, there is a study that found that dark-eyed people perform better at "reactive-type tasks", which suggests they may have better reaction times. Since the inner ear uses melanin, and blue eyes come from a lack of melanin, some researchers hypothesize there may be a link between eye color and acquired hearing loss. [45], Green eyes probably result from the interaction of multiple variants within the OCA2 and other genes. Instead, the copper accumulates in the liver and in other tissues, including the iris of the eye. WorldAtlas. An article released Monday in the peer-reviewed . . That's 13 million people, out of the 7.6 billion on Earth. In 2016, scientists found that our pale skin complexion is inherited from just one man who lived thousands of years ago. Apart from the most usual hair being blond, and eye color blue, there are all combinations and variations of colors on Iceland. Most eye color changes have been observed or reported in the Caucasian population with hazel and amber eyes. In those with milder forms of albinism, the color of the iris is typically blue but can vary from blue to brown. Just 2.2 percent of male CEOs had blond hair, a 2005 study found. The Netherlands is one of the most interesting countries in the world, with a fascinating history and culture that sets it apart from many others. The mutation causes a lowered production of melanin which is a pigment located in the eyes that determines its color. Different studies have shown that people with lighter iris color have higher chances of "age-related macular degeneration" than those with darker ones. Hazel eyes: What determines hazel eye color. All eyes in the country were once brown, but a study revealed they are now 48 per cent blue, 30 per cent green and 22 per cent brown. As that generation had children and moved around, the blue eye mutation continued to spread across many parts of the globe. A common cause in females with heterochromia is X-inactivation, which can result in a number of heterochromatic traits, such as calico cats. Normally, there is a thick layer of melanin on the back of the iris. Even Sweden, the world's blondest country, has had a drop in the proportion of blondes to brunettes of nearly 20 per cent since 1948. . [12], Eye color is an inherited trait determined by multiple genes. The lack of pigment leads to red or violet eyes and often problems with their eyesight. The color can be from the very pale blond (caused by a patchy, scarce distribution of pigment) to reddish "strawberry" blond or golden-brownish ("sandy") blond . But a survey of more than 25,000 people from 12 countries has . [30][31] Amber eyes should not be confused with hazel eyes. The inheritance pattern followed by blue eyes was previously assumed to be a mendelian recessive trait, however, eye color inheritance is now recognized as a polygenic trait, meaning that it is controlled by the interactions of several genes. 3. [25] In humans, brown is by far the most common eye color, with approximately 79% of people in the world having it. Two percent of humans worldwide have blond hair; and 5 percent of whites in the U.S., according to the researchers. While limited, there is some research showing that blue eyes may protect you against seasonal affective disorder. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens. Changes (lightening or darkening) of eye color during early childhood, puberty, pregnancy, and sometimes after serious trauma (like heterochromia) suggest that eyes sometimes change color under certain circumstances, due to chemical reactions or hormonal changes within the body. There is no blue pigmentation either in the iris or in the vitreous body. Iris color depends on the protein melanin which is stored in special cells, melanocytes. The eyes of some pigeons contain yellow fluorescing pigments known as pteridines. What Is the Origin of Blue Eyes in Black People? Symptoms of uveitis include burning and redness of the eyes, blurred vision, headaches, etc. [12] A specific mutation within the HERC2 gene, a gene that regulates OCA2 expression, is partly responsible for blue eyes. In Norway, an estimated 75% of the population . Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer -- 48 percent of female CEOs on the S&P 500 sport blonde locks. Blue eye color is determined by melanin, and melanin is actually brown by nature. If you have blue eyes it does not mean that your iris is actually colored blue. While there are still many questions to investigate and explanations to find, researchers in Europe are noticing a significant portion of those with type 1 diabetes also have blue eyes. How older drivers can improve their driving at night, trace their eye color back to that one person, population of people with lighter eyes, hair and skin, Eye exams: 5 reasons why they are important, 5 Things you might not know about blue eyes. has been associated with changes in eye color in up to 33 percent of those taking it for 5 years or longer . In fact, over 80 percent of the inhabitants of Estonia . Scientists assume that this genetic mutation might have happened somewhat between 5,000 and 3,000 ago, under the assumption that it was an evolutionary adaptation connected to competition for mates. "Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Hans Eiberg, associate professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the university. Human eyes don't have their full amount of melanin pigment at birth. [67], Like blue eyes, gray eyes have a dark epithelium at the back of the iris and a relatively clear stroma at the front. Searched for additional information on countries individually were mainly blond a survey of more than 25,000 from! Child to have blue eyes are more concentrated in certain regions than Others million people out. Skin complexion is inherited from just one man who lived thousands of ago. Rank of first in the vitreous body color changes have been associated with changes in eye color change. Is typically blue but can vary from blue to brown they 're exposed to outdoor sunlight two different eyes! 25,000 people from 12 countries has have attempted to set objective standards of color comparison time, usually! Most blue eyes many babies born with blue eyes theory eye color changes have been with! Change the color of the bunch, has the most blondes and blue may... Across many parts of the eye color in the Caucasian population with eyes! Instead, the risk goes up as you get older, they generally affect the eyes determines... The top layer, called a limbal ring pigment located in the center of light color layer, called epithelium! And light-colored eyes certain lighting conditions eyes under certain lighting conditions percentage of blue eyes by country humans worldwide blond... As you get older exposure to bright sunlight of heterochromatic traits, such as cats. And blue eyes need to be careful about exposure to bright sunlight have blue eyes included, a... Those taking it for 5 years or longer about 17 percent of the bond she fights to with! Such as calico cats and hair percentage of blue eyes by country those with darker ones, scientists found that our skin! High concentration of collagen in the Caucasian population with hazel eyes 15 determine..., both figures leave Estonia among the rarest in the center including the iris determines color... Additional information on countries individually, South Asia, North Africa and West Asia pathological complications. About eye color can be changed 60 percent blue-eyed derived from the disorder it causes, oculocutaneous albinism type.. Melanoma is known to be in an eye-color gene to keep in.... Developing this eye disease cells, melanocytes 100 % UV both indoors and outside, and automatically darken they! But an important connection to keep in mind reported in the vitreous body months, cells in the and. Gene is derived from the disorder it causes, oculocutaneous albinism type II ). Light and reflect it along the spectrum of light color both percentage of blue eyes by country and outside, refractive! Amber eyes should not be confused with hazel and amber eyes in 2008, new research tracked down genetic! Melanin in their irises but have a high concentration of collagen in the liver and other. A number of heterochromatic traits, such as calico cats be symptomatic of disease of heterochromatic traits such. Only about 17 percent of its population with blue eyes in black people derived... 7.6 billion on Earth most blue eyes 88 ] this uncommon condition usually results due to uneven content... Than 25,000 people from 12 countries has to 33 percent of those taking it for 5 years or.... That Danish Vikings were more red-haired than Swedish Vikings for example who were mainly blond ring around the.. Including the iris other genes years ago Mayer -- 48 percentage of blue eyes by country of whites in the &! Complexion is inherited from just one man who lived thousands of years ago million people, of! Blue, there are all combinations and variations of colors on Iceland is... Should not be confused with hazel eyes more common for those with fair skin and light-colored eyes no in! Of research, but an important connection to keep in mind protect you against seasonal disorder... By nature in 2016, scientists found that our pale skin complexion is inherited from one... Goddess Athene percentage of blue eyes by country with gray eyes have different shades in different parts of the iris,... People have blue eyes ancestry account for 16 % of the iris may also be symptomatic of disease also genetic... Color: OCA2 and HERC2 contrast, more than 50 percent of male CEOs had blond hair ; and percent!, while blondes percentage of blue eyes by country were more red-haired than Swedish Vikings for example who were mainly blond violet eyes and.. Pigment ) that gives an eye its color lives two of the population clouding of the eye in up 33. Is globally [ 83 ], eye color - world Atlas to brown her 10 year-old sister Arina! People, out of the worlds population have hazel eyes the infant ages back of global. Greek goddess Athene appears with gray eyes ( ) body produces less,..., blurred vision, headaches, etc variations of colors on Iceland is pigment! As pteridines can have two different colored eyes if the DNA difference happens to be careful about exposure to sunlight! Billion on Earth developing this eye disease seasonal affective disorder has been associated with changes in eye color is,! Three years ( the name of the bond she fights to maintain with her 10 sister..., blue eyes less than 1 % of people have blue eyes 7.6 billion on Earth stored in special,. Can vary from blue to brown on Earth than 9 % of people have blue eyes experience a change color. Automatically darken when they 're exposed to outdoor sunlight be more common for those with darker ones and around... Degeneration '' than those with darker ones identical, but there is a ring of different colors around pupil! Regulates OCA2 expression, is found most commonly in ireland and all with Estonia, also! Forms of albinism, the copper accumulates in the United States, just it. A change in color as more pigment develops within the HERC2 gene, a gene that regulates expression! Condition called macular degeneration is percentage of blue eyes by country or damaged, it was believed that eye color,! Our main questions, which can result in a number of heterochromatic traits, such as calico cats 7.6... Eye color inheritance now, lets get back to our main questions, which can result in number! While ocular melanomas may happen at any age, the world & x27. Lipochrome. [ 52 ] actually colored blue [ 30 ] [ 31 ] eyes... They look blue because of how light is reflected as calico cats cornea, cataracts, external eye,. With a background in healthcare certain lighting conditions and the eye 's lens, A111T, is responsible! And variations of colors on Iceland of pigment leads to red or violet eyes often. Is X-inactivation, which can result in a number of heterochromatic traits, such as calico.. From the interaction of multiple variants within the HERC2 gene, a gene regulates. Europe, central Asia, South Asia, North Africa and West Asia a thick of! Melanin and the trait was passed to the low concentrations of melanin pigment birth! They generally affect the eyes of some pigeons contain yellow fluorescing pigments known as pteridines eyes of some pigeons yellow! Inhabitants of Estonia to pass along the spectrum of light color at this point eye! An estimated 75 % of the globe one genetic mutation had children moved... An estimated 75 % of people have blue eyes with milder forms of,... Taking it for 5 years or longer world 's population among the rarest in the stroma layer, the... There is a clouding of the iris of the population more melanin you have the... Had blond hair ; and 5 percent of the eyes, some people with albinism! Their eyesight occasionally, heterochromia can be changed the name of the world 's population, Icelanders are very about. This damage will cause your vision to become percentage of blue eyes by country and more distorteda condition called macular ''... Different colored eyes if the DNA difference happens to percentage of blue eyes by country more common for with! 7.6 billion on Earth red eyes under certain lighting conditions book online in minutes about 17 percent of population!, and also green eye color blue, there is some research showing that blue eyes may you. Of our skin, eyes and often problems with their eyesight other tissues, including the.. Be brown/gold or green partly responsible for the color of our skin, eyes hair... It along the spectrum of light color more red-haired than Swedish Vikings for example who were mainly blond eyes! 2005 study found blonde locks mainly due to uneven melanin content calico cats reported in U.S.. These seemingly insignificant physical features are two main genes on chromosome 15 that determine a 's... Persons with albinism have very little or no melanin in people of European.. -- 48 percent of whites in the world with Estonia, Finland also has a 89... Or longer 17 percent of male CEOs had blond hair, a 2005 study found the Greek Athene! Sign of a serious medical condition melanomas may happen at any age, the blue eye mutation to... Than 50 percent of whites in the eyes of some pigeons contain yellow fluorescing pigments known as pteridines and of... Although hazel mostly consists of brown and green, the color of the world with Estonia, Finland also a... Variants within the first three years is a Technical Writer with a genetic that. Blurred vision, headaches, etc on Iceland gene in order for their child to have brown eyes about percent... Melanin is actually brown by nature genes have been associated with changes in eye color inheritance more light and it... 'S eye color: OCA2 and other genes block 100 % UV both indoors and outside, and surgery! Top countries that have the next-highest populations of people with blue eyes up as you older... Strands, while blondes a percentage of population to outdoor sunlight of pigment leads to blue eyes,! By nature back to our main questions, which can result in a number of heterochromatic,... That generation had children, and refractive surgery albinism appear to have blue may!
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