Most prehistoric Europeans had dark skin, light skin evolved recently and spread only 3000 years ago.
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68% of prehistoric and early Iron Age Europeans had dark skin. Only 8% had light skin while 24% had intermediate. Dark hair and dark eyes dominated ancient Europe. Light skin emerged around 14000 years ago as vitamin D adaptation to low sunlight. Light skin genes first appeared among ancestors of modern Swedes but remained rare. Light skin became common across Europe only about 3000 years ago. Blue and green eyes appeared 14000-4000 years ago in northern and western Europe via chance or sexual selection. 17000-year-old boy had dark skin, dark hair, but blue eyes. 10000-year-old Cheddar Man had dark skin and hair but light eyes. First Europeans carried African dark skin, eye, and hair genes from 50000-60000 years ago migration. Many ancient samples analyzed via HIrisPlex-S probabilistic phenotyping from 45000-year-old Siberian to 1700-year-old remains.

Europe and the EU Evolution Skin color and pigmentation Genetics Science Homo Sapiens White people Sweden Negroes

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