European, DNA, Dark Skin, African, Europe

European DNA & Dark-Skin

Europeans were dark-skinned until 8,000 years ago: Pale complexions were brought to Europe from the Near East, study claims: The original migrants to Europe from Africa arrived 40,000 years ago Up until 8,000 years ago, early hunter-gatherers largely had darker skin When Near East farmers arrived, they carried with them light skin genes Genomes of 83 people found 5 genes linked with diet and skin changes. 

 

It has been at the root of division and persecution for centuries, but it seems that the white skin of most modern Europeans did not evolve in Europe at all. 

Now genetic research has revealed that ancient European populations were dark skinned for far longer than had originally been thought. Rather than lightening as early humans migrated north from Africa around 40,000 years ago due to lower levels of sunlight, these first Homo sapiens retained their dark skin colour.

DNA analysis obtained from ancient human remains has shown that as these farmers bred with the dark skinned hunter gatherers, one of these genes became prevalent in the European population and European's skin colour began to lighten. Around 5,800 years ago the second gene, which makes skin colour lighter still, also began to spread though the European population. The research, which was presented at the 84th annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, shows that populations in Europe were still evolving until relatively recently. 

 It also shows that a population of hunter-gatherers living on the site of Motala, southern Sweden, had already developed both skin-lightening genes around 7,700 years ago together with a third that gave them blue eyes. Dr Iain Mathieson, a geneticist at Harvard University in Massachusetts who led the work, said: 'Ancient DNA makes it possible to examine populations as they were before, during and after adaptation events, and thus to reveal the tempo and mode of selection. 

A study of ancient human bones has revealed how Early Europeans had difficulties digesting milk around 5,000 years after the introduction of farming. 

It took at least that long for their genes to evolve until they were no longer intolerant to lactose, the natural sugar in mammalian milk, scientists suggests. Researchers looked at ancient DNA extracted from 13 individuals buried at archaeological sites in the Great Hungarian Plain - a region known to have been at the crossroads of cultural change in European prehistory.

 

The samples were dated from 5,700 BC to 800 BC, ranging across the Stone, Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages. 'Our findings show progression towards lighter skin pigmentation as hunter and gatherers and non-local farmers intermarried, but surprisingly no presence of increased lactose persistence or tolerance to lactose,' said Professor Ron Pinhasi, from University College Dublin's Earth Institute.

'This means that these ancient Europeans would have had domesticated animals like cows, goats and sheep, but they would not yet have genetically developed a tolerance for drinking large quantities of milk from mammals.'  To read or download the whole article please click here

Sources:  Dr Iain Mathieson, Ron Pinhasi