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New findings reveal that most prehistoric Europeans retained dark skin, hair, and eye pigmentation throughout the Iron Age, which concluded roughly 3,000 years ago.


 Researchers discovered that the genetic markers for lighter skin, hair, and eye color appeared among ancient Europeans approximately 14,000 years ago, towards the end of the Paleolithic era—commonly referred to as the "Old Stone Age." However, according to the lead author of the study, these traits were not common until much more recently.
 Silvia Ghirotto
 a geneticist affiliated with the University of Ferrara in Italy.


 Paleer skin might have offered an evolutionary benefit for Europeans as it allowed individuals to produce more vitamin D.
 vitamin D
 — essential for strong bones, teeth, and muscles — due to Europe's less intense sunlight. However, having lighter eye color — such as blue or green, for instance — doesn’t appear to have made a difference.
 major evolutionary advantages
 And thus, its appearance might have been influenced by randomness or sexual selection, according to Ghirotto who stated this via email to Live Science.

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 Ghirotto and her team examined 348 ancient DNA samples from archaeological locations across 34 nations in Western Europe and Asia, as detailed in research released on February 12th.
 preprint server bioRxiv
 , which has not undergone peer review.


 The earliest one, dating back 45,000 years, came from the
 Ust'-Ishim individual
 identified in 2008 in the Irtysh River area of western Siberia; additionally, another well-preserved DNA specimen was obtained from a approximately 9,000-year-old source.
 SF12 individual
 from Sweden.


 However, numerous older specimens were significantly deteriorated, leading the scientists to estimate these individuals' pigmentation through "probabilistic phenotype inference" along with the
 HIrisPlex-S system
 , capable of forecasting eye, hair, and skin colour based on partial genetic material.


 
 Related:
 
 
 A new CRISPR study has uncovered nearly 170 genes that influence hair, skin, and eye coloring.
 

<h2 id="out-of-africa">
 Out of Africa
</h2>

 Palaeoanthropologists think the first
 
 Homo sapiens
 
 permanently settled in Europe between
 Between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago
 , indicating they were not too distant from their contemporary African forebears. Consequently, early Europeans originally possessed
 genetics
 For individuals with dark skin, hair, and eyes — traits influenced by hundreds of interrelated genes — Ghirotto explained.


 Despite lighter characteristics appearing in Europeans around 14,000 years ago, these features were seen inconsistently among individuals until roughly 3,000 years ago when they began to spread widely, as per her statement.


 According to Ghirotto, the recent research indicated that individuals with dark skin were quite common across various regions of Europe throughout much of the Copper Age, also referred to as the Chalcolithic era, beginning roughly 5,000 years ago. In certain places, this prevalence persisted well beyond that time frame.

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<h2 id="emerging-traits">
 Emerging traits
</h2>

 The study revealed that light-colored eyes developed among individuals in Northern and Western Europe roughly between 14,000 and 4,000 years ago. Despite this, darker hair and skin tones remained predominant during that period. (It should be noted though; a genetic examination conducted in 2024 indicated that an approximately 1-year-old male from Europe dating back around 17,000 years possessed)
 deep complexion, jet-black hair with striking blue eyes
 .)


 According to Ghirotto, the genetic foundation for fairer skin appeared around the same period as paler eye colors in Sweden, though it stayed fairly uncommon initially.


 The research team additionally noted a statistical “peak” in the occurrence of lighter eye colors during this period, indicating that blue or green eyes were more common then compared to before or after.


 Carles Lalueza Fox
 ,a paleogeneticist at Barcelona's Evolutionary Biology Research Institute, specializes in
 early European pigmentation
 however, did not take part in the recent research.


 He informed Live Science via email that it came as a surprise to discover some Europeans carried genes for dark skin pigmentation all the way until the Iron Age—a comparatively recent period from a genetic standpoint.


 Although the fresh study maps the appearance of characteristics such as fairer skin, hair, and eye color, the factors behind why these attributes might have developed remain unclear.
 evolutionary
 The advantages are still not fully comprehended, he mentioned.

New Research Reveals: Most Ancient Europeans Had Dark Skin, Eyes, and Hair Until Just 3,000 Years Ago

Unknown culture, europe, genetics and heredity, health, race and ethnicity

New findings reveal that most prehistoric Europeans retained dark skin, hair, and eye pigmentation throughout the Iron Age, which concluded roughly 3,000 years ago. Researchers discovered that the …