Link to a short, free version of the article in the comments. The MC1R gene is a gene that regulates pigmentation in humans and other vertebrates. Data confirm the convergent evolution of MC1R alleles with reduced function. This suggests that MC1R variants with reduced activity evolved independently in both modern humans and Neanderthals. At least 1% of Neanderthal individuals who were homozygotes may have had reduced levels of pigmentation, potentially even similar to the light skin color and/or red hair observed in modern humans. The Science article describes a study of a fragment of the MC1R gene, which regulates pigmentation, extracted from two Neanderthal remains. Scientists discovered an Arg307Gly mutation in both individuals, unknown in modern humans, which causes a partial loss of function of the MC1R receptor, similar to variants associated with pale skin and red hair in modern humans. Functional assays in cells showed that this variant significantly reduces receptor activity, suggesting that Neanderthals exhibited pigmentation variation on the scale observed in humans. The authors conclude that loss of MC1R function evolved independently in both Neanderthals and modern humans.