Europe has been linked with fair-skinned people for centuries, but a revolutionary study shows the characteristic is comparatively new.

Only 3,000 years ago, most Europeans had dark complexions, new research claims—a finding that upends earlier theories about human evolution on the continent.

By studying 348 ancient DNA samples from 34 nations, scientists discovered that 63% of early Europeans were dark-skinned, 29% had medium skin tones, and just 8% were fair-skinned. These results indicate that light skin evolved as a dominant trait in Europe much later than previously estimated.

Scientists have long held the view that humans evolved in Africa and slowly dispersed throughout the globe. As human beings migrated north, they were subjected to lower intensities of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, an important component of vitamin D synthesis. Due to adaptations over time, genetic changes resulted in lighter skin, which was more able to absorb UV rays, but the process took longer than anticipated.

The research discovered that fair skin genetic markers started appearing some 14,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic Age, but were still rare for thousands of years. Even in the Copper Age (5,000 years ago) and the Iron Age (3,000 years ago), fully half of Europe's population had still darker skin colors.

Scientists speculate that diet would have been a significant factor in this change. Early hunter-gatherers had access to vitamin D-rich foods such as fish and meat and thus had lower reliance on genetic adaptations. But with the dispersal of agriculture, diets altered, and lighter skin became beneficial for vitamin D production.

Another unexpected revelation of the research is the discovery that Neanderthals, who existed in Europe before modern humans arrived, might already have had fair skin genes. This implies that the development of lighter skin in Europe was more complicated than earlier thought.

The research also goes back to the legendary Cheddar Man, a skeleton discovered in the UK that was 10,000 years old. He was originally believed to have had light hair and skin, but a 2018 DNA study proved that he had dark skin and blue eyes instead. This new information is consistent with the most recent research, supporting the hypothesis that light skin only became common in Europe in recent millennia.