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What color was Neanderthal skin?


Neanderthals were early humans who lived in Europe and Western Asia before disappearing around 40,000 years ago. They were closely related to modern humans, with whom they interbred. One longstanding question about Neanderthals has been what color their skin was. This is an important issue because skin color affects how much vitamin D the body can produce from sunlight. It also influences how visible someone would be while hunting. Understanding Neanderthal skin color provides clues into their way of life and relationship with the environment.

What influences skin color?

Human skin color is primarily determined by levels of a pigment called melanin. Melanin comes in two forms:

  • Eumelanin: Confers brown/black pigmentation
  • Pheomelanin: Confers red/yellow pigmentation

People living close to the equator tend to have high levels of eumelanin in their skin, which protects against sun damage from intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation. People living further from the equator often have lower levels of overall melanin, allowing more UV penetration to facilitate vitamin D production.

But many other factors also influence skin color, including diet, climate, cultural practices, and genetic variations. This makes reconstructing the skin color of ancient humans complex.

Early evidence suggesting pale Neanderthal skin

Some of the earliest evidence about Neanderthal skin color comes from genetic analysis. The Neanderthal genome was first sequenced in 2010 from bone fragments of three individuals found in Croatia. This revealed variants of several genes involved in skin and hair pigmentation:

  • The Neanderthal MC1R gene variant produces little to no eumelanin, indicating pale skin that tans poorly.
  • Neanderthal BNC2 gene variants are associated with light skin color in modern Europeans.
  • Variants in the Neanderthal SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 genes are linked to depigmentation in modern humans.

Based on this genetic evidence, scientists initially hypothesized that Neanderthals had relatively pale skin that was lighter than the skin of contemporary modern humans inhabiting the same regions of Europe and Asia.

The thinking was that Neanderthals did not require darker skin in order to protect against UV radiation because they either lived in colder environments or were able to take shelter in caves, reducing sun exposure. Plus, lighter skin may have been advantageous in order to promote vitamin D production with limited sunlight.

Contradictory evidence for darker Neanderthal skin

In more recent years, however, some studies have challenged the view that Neanderthals were predominantly light skinned.

In 2017, researchers used 3D modeling to reconstruct the face of a Neanderthal man who lived around 130,000 years ago. They predicted his skin would be dark along with the lining of his eyes, similar to equatorial indigenous populations.

Other evidence suggesting darker Neanderthal skin includes:

  • DNA analysis indicates Neanderthals had various skin, hair, and eye colors, like modern humans.
  • The predominantly meat-based diet of Neanderthals may have provided sufficient vitamin D, relaxing pressure for lighter skin.
  • Microscopic wear patterns on Neanderthal teeth are similar to modern humans who eat tough, fibrous foods – this diet may have selected for stronger teeth rather than paler skin.
  • Archeological evidence shows Neanderthals primarily occupied open, steppe environments rather than ice age forests or sheltered caves.

Based on this evidence, scientists have proposed that at least some Neanderthal populations likely had darker skin colors similar to modern humans living at the same latitudes.

Skin color range in Neanderthals

The current consensus in the field is that Neanderthals exhibited a diverse range of skin tones, similar to what we see in modern humans today.

Neanderthals inhabited a vast range spanning Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and Western Asia. Different Neanderthal populations probably adapted to local conditions resulting in varied skin pigmentation levels.

DNA studies show Neanderthals had genetic variants associated with different skin colors. This indicates they likely expressed a spectrum of skin tones ranging from pale to dark.

Factors influencing local Neanderthal skin color may have included:

  • Latitude and exposure to UV radiation
  • Diet and availability of vitamin D
  • Culture and clothing use
  • Migrations and interbreeding with other groups

In sunny, southern regions, darker skin would have protected against folate destruction and skin cancer. In the north, lighter skin could boost vitamin D production with weaker sunlight.

Visualizing the range of Neanderthal skin tones

This table summarizes the range of Neanderthal skin colors suggested by current evidence:

Skin tone Factors favoring development Geographic regions
Very pale Low UV exposure, high meat diet, vitamin D availability Northern areas of habitat range e.g. England, Germany
Pale to olive Moderate UV exposure, mixed diet Central and eastern areas e.g. France, Croatia, Uzbekistan
Olive to brown High UV exposure, plant-rich diet Southern areas e.g. Spain, Israel, Iraq

This range of skin tones would have enabled Neanderthal populations to adapt successfully to their local environments across Europe and Asia.

What does Neanderthal skin color reveal about their lives?

The variety of Neanderthal skin colors provides some interesting insights into how they may have lived:

  • A diverse, meat-rich diet reduced their reliance on pale skin for vitamin D production.
  • Their range of clothing was likely limited and primitive, requiring protective pigmentation in sunny climes.
  • Frequent long-distance migrations between latitudes favored skin color diversity.
  • Interbreeding with other human species in the south probably introduced darker skin genes.
  • Darker skinAllowed camouflage while out hunting prey.

In summary, Neanderthal skin tone was adapted to local conditions but likely darker than initially thought. This reflects a flexible, mobile lifestyle reliant on hunting and gathering. Their ability to thrive across a range of environments shows an adaptability surpassing earlier assumptions.

Conclusion

Modern research suggests Neanderthals had a diverse range of skin tones spanning from light to dark. Populations in sunny southern regions likely had darker pigmentation as an adaptation to UV radiation, while more northerly groups probably had paler skin to absorb vitamin D. Their skin color evolved to suit local environments and lifestyles across their vast habitat range. The variety of hues likely aided survival and reflects Neanderthal adaptability. Understanding the skin color of Neanderthals provides wider insights into their diet, behavior, and genetics – shedding light on the lives of these mysterious early humans.