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perceived races do not reflect human genetic diversity

four mutations that lightened or darkened human skin      web

webhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/interactive-assets/nggraphics/ngm-1803-genetics-pigmentation-graphic/build-2018-03-08_13-19-29/ngm-assets/img/ngm-1803-genetics-pigmentation-graphic_ai2html-desktop-medium.jpg
authorJason Treat and Ryan T. Williams
publicationNational Geographic
date2018-04-01

Ancient flows of dark and light

Many genes affect how melanin colors human skin. The genes predate humanity; some occur in mice and fish. Variations in four of them—mutations that flip a gene from darkening to lightening or vice versa—explain much of the skin-color diversity in Africa. As our ancestors spread across the Earth, different mutations proved beneficial at different latitudes and were passed on.

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