Different genetic routes to light skin

Ancient genomes show that populations in Europe and East Asia trended toward lighter‑skin polygenic scores over time, but they used partly different variants and even opposite relationships with local UVB exposure. The farming transition again correlates with shifts toward lighter‑skin genetics, yet the UVB×time interaction differs between regions, implying selection dynamics and genetic architecture vary by ancestry. — This reframes claims that 'light skin = single universal adaptation to low sunlight' and implies genetic evidence about pigmentation and adaptation must be presented with ancestry‑specific nuance in public debates about race, health, and policy.