Paleopathology

Basis for the gain and subsequent dilution of epidermal pigmentation during human evolution: The barrier and metabolic conservation hypotheses revisited

“…Moreover, the retention of substantial pigmentation in recent Mesolithic humans (Olalde et al, ) did not result in vitamin D deficiency among hunter‐gatherer and early agricultural populations living in regions with annual sunlight comparable to south‐central Europe and Asia. Indeed, there is a paucity of fossil evidence of rickets in either Neanderthals (Mayr & Campbell, ) or among Eurasians prior to the Industrial Revolution (Cook, ; Holt, ; Robins, ). Accordingly, a critical (re)examination of the Loomis diagram demonstrates that moderate skin pigmentation (i.e., Fitzpatrick Skin Types III and IV) persisted over a broad range of Eurasian latitudes.…”