How did the Europeans become white? - Archaeological Science Ep 12

Human phenotypes (observable traits) are wide-ranging and diverse across the globe. Our phenotype is largely dictated by our DNA. As humans migrated out of Africa, they developed lighter skin tones, which is beneficial in regions with low UV radiation as it helps prevent vitamin D deficiencies. In this video, I explore the current picture of how Europeans became white based on ancient DNA evidence, specifically tracing the two most important genes involved in depigmentation in modern-day Europeans: SLC24A5 and SLC45A2. I also discuss a new non-peer-reviewed study that has made headlines recently. #archaeology #dna #ancientdna #archaeological #ancient #archaeologist #science #crashcourse #europe #european #europa #prehistoric #paleolithic #mesolithic #neolithic 00:00 Intro 01:21 DNA, Genes, Alleles 03:54 SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 04:50 Cheddar Man / WHGs 07:34 Neolithic Anatolian Farmers 08:51 Scandinavia, EHGs 10:39 Origins of derived alleles (SLC24A5/SLC45A2) 11:19 A complex picture? 15:15 New, non-peer-reviewed study 20:15 End Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel! Follow me on: Instagram - @madamarchaeologist X/Twitter - @madamarchaeo Photo Licenses: CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... -Cheddar Man reconstruction: https://flickr.com/photos/phancurio/4... CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... -Eastern Hunter-Gatherer: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... -Neolithic Farmer Reconstruction: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... -Prehistoric man reconstruction: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...