European Skin Turned Pale Only Recently, Gene Suggests

Science ^ | April 2007 | Ann Gibbons

[SirLinksalot]

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGISTS MEETING:

European Skin Turned Pale Only Recently, Gene Suggests Ann Gibbons

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA--At the American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting, held here from 28 to 31 March, a new report on the evolution of a gene for skin color suggested that Europeans acquired pale skin quite recently, perhaps only 6000 to 12,000 years ago

[SirLinksalot]

This site requires registration but in essence, an article in Science April 20 says maybe just 6,000 to 12,000 years.

“This contradicts a long-standing hypothesis that modern humans in Europe grew paler about 40,000 years ago, as soon as they migrated into northern latitudes,” the article states, reporting on a March meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Pale skin is said to have an adaptive value at high latitudes: “Under darker skies, pale skin absorbs more sunlight than dark skin, allowing ultraviolet rays to produce more vitamin D for bone growth and calcium absorption.” The new date was based on genetic studies that suggested a “selective sweep occurred 5300 to 6000 years ago” or up to 12,000 years ago, “given the imprecision of method”.

[dirtboy]

Pale skin is nothing more than an adaptation to less sunlight at higher latitudes. That vitamin D thingy, IMO.

[The_Republican]

I experienced the same effect today when I logged on to my Etrade acccount.

[CarrotAndStick]

European?

Some dude from India...

[Waverunner]

So at the end of the last ice age, or the beginning of the global warming period, When people could move North, they lost their tans.

Frikkin Scientific Geniuses they are.

[Chickensoup]

muslim

[Old Professer]

Aquiline noses block the introduction of ice-cold air, I guess.

[CarrotAndStick]

Nope. Sikh.

[John Will]

Could be a descendant of Alexander’s army. Also aren’t central asians, persians as pale as europeans?

[Tax-chick]

Gene who?

[Always Right]

Pale-skinned women must be easier.

[voletti]

No, Sikh.

Sikhism, one of the youngest religions in the world, was designed to be the sword arm of India’s Hindus to defend India against the marauding muslim armies coming out of Persia and central asia.

Osama did the Sikhs great disservice with his turban, IMO.

[Waverunner]

You know the rules - picture required.

[Toggameid]

So that means us white people are more evolved!

I knew it! =D

[colorado tanker]

Actually, the reoccupation of the northern latitudes after the last glacial max was around 8-10,000 years ago. It would be interesting to know, if there’s any way to do it, if this gene came and went as homo sapiens went north and was driven south by the ice and cold.

[Always Right]

Or perhaps they are just hotter.....

[colorado tanker]

ping

[baclava]

So, before that...we were all darkies?

[miliantnutcase]

lol is that Daler Mendhi? That singer dude.

[2banana]

Mohamed is described as a white man in the Hadith...