Adaptation of human skin color in various populations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Skin color is a well-recognized adaptive trait and has been studied extensively in humans. Understanding the genetic basis of adaptation of skin color in various populations has many implications in human evolution and medicine.

Discussion

Impressive progress has been made recently to identify genes associated with skin color variation in a wide range of geographical and temporal populations. In this review, we discuss what is currently known about the genetics of skin color variation. We enumerated several cases of skin color adaptation in global modern humans and archaic hominins, and illustrated why, when, and how skin color adaptation occurred in different populations. Finally, we provided a summary of the candidate loci associated with pigmentation, which cou

SUBMITTER: Deng L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5502412 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature