Pigmentation Selection Into the Iron Age

Modern European light skin pigmentation is not solely a Paleolithic or Neolithic outcome: applying ancient‑DNA polygenic scores suggests admixture plus continued natural selection pushed lighter pigmentation frequencies further during and after the Iron Age. The claim depends on careful ancient‑DNA imputation, cross‑validation with known clines, and sensitivity checks for ancestry confounding. — If robust, this reframes popular narratives about when 'white' European traits emerged, affecting debates about ancestry, identity, and how genetic evidence is used in public discourse.