Ancient DNA reveals Europe's slow, surprising shift to lighter skin

A new study of ancient DNA has reshaped our understanding of how Europeans developed lighter skin. For most of their history, early Europeans had darker pigmentation, with pale skin only becoming widespread far later than previously believed. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the timing and causes of this evolutionary shift.

The research analysed genetic data spanning tens of thousands of years. It revealed that 63% of ancient Europeans had dark skin, while only 8% carried genes for pale pigmentation. The earliest signs of lighter skin appeared in the Mesolithic period, around 14,000 to 4,000 years ago, with isolated cases in Sweden and France showing light skin and blue eyes.

By the Bronze Age, roughly half the population still had dark skin. Lighter tones only began to dominate during the Iron Age, around 3,000 years ago. The shift was driven by two key genes, SLC24A5 and SLC45A2, which spread unevenly across Europe.

Neolithic farmers from Anatolia brought some of these lighter-skin genes as they migrated into Europe. Later, Yamnaya migrations during the Bronze Age accelerated their spread. However, regional differences persisted: western Europe, including Britain and Iberia, adopted lighter skin earlier due to additional farmer ancestry, while eastern Europe retained darker pigmentation longer.

Contrary to earlier theories, pale skin did not evolve primarily to boost vitamin D in low sunlight. Instead, dietary changes—such as a shift from vitamin D-rich wild game to cultivated crops—may have played a larger role. The study also confirmed that modern Europeans did not inherit light skin from Neanderthals; the trait evolved independently in our species.

The research shows that lighter skin became dominant in Europe only in the last few thousand years. Genetic and environmental factors, including diet and migration, shaped this gradual transition. These findings provide a clearer picture of how human pigmentation evolved over time.