Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

6.2K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
6.2K
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

732
Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
732
Pigmentation01:19

Pigmentation

2.7K
The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
2.7K
Incomplete Dominance01:43

Incomplete Dominance

25.5K
Gregor Mendel's work (1822 - 1884) was primarily focused on pea plants. Through his initial experiments, he determined that every gene in a diploid cell has two variants called alleles inherited from each parent. He suggested that amongst these two alleles, one allele is dominant in character and the other recessive. The combination of alleles determines the phenotype of a gene in an organism.
25.5K
Hardy-Weinberg Principle01:49

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

73.3K
Diploid organisms have two alleles of each gene, one from each parent, in their somatic cells. Therefore, each individual contributes two alleles to the gene pool of the population. The gene pool of a population is the sum of every allele of all genes within that population and has some degree of variation. Genetic variation is typically expressed as a relative frequency, which is the percentage of the total population that has a given allele, genotype or phenotype.
73.3K
Epistasis01:39

Epistasis

47.7K
In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
47.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Improving Accessibility in Rheumatology Conferences: A Multidisciplinary Perspective.

The Journal of rheumatology·2026
Same author

Advanced Extubation Strategy in a Pediatric Difficult Airway: Successful Use of a Cook Staged Extubation Set.

Cureus·2026
Same author

The relationship between genomic variation and genetic load: insights from small island populations.

Heredity·2026
Same author

Chromosome-level genome of the Adriatic sturgeon, Acipenser naccarii: A resource for polyploid fish genomics.

The Journal of heredity·2026
Same author

Validation of a Multimodal Wearable Device Integrating EMG and IMU Sensors for Monitoring Upper Limb Function During Tooth Brushing Activities of Daily Living.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Awake Fiberoptic Intubation for Severe Tracheal Compression Caused by a Multinodular Goiter: A Case Report.

Cureus·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 15, 2025

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
07:40

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals

Published on: March 13, 2011

21.0K

Inference of human pigmentation from ancient DNA by genotype likelihoods.

Silvia Perretti1, Patrícia Santos1, Maria Teresa Vizzari1

  • 1Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara 44121, Italy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 15, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Human pigmentation evolved gradually across Eurasia, with lighter skin, hair, and eye colors appearing slower than expected. This study analyzed ancient DNA to map the evolutionary timeline of these traits over 45,000 years.

Keywords:
ancient DNAgenotype likelihoodhuman evolutionphenotype inferencepigmentation

More Related Videos

Quantifying Abdominal Pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster
08:41

Quantifying Abdominal Pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: June 1, 2017

9.1K
Reverse Genetic Approach to Identify Regulators of Pigmentation using Zebrafish
07:16

Reverse Genetic Approach to Identify Regulators of Pigmentation using Zebrafish

Published on: March 1, 2022

2.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 15, 2025

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
07:40

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals

Published on: March 13, 2011

21.0K
Quantifying Abdominal Pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster
08:41

Quantifying Abdominal Pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: June 1, 2017

9.1K
Reverse Genetic Approach to Identify Regulators of Pigmentation using Zebrafish
07:16

Reverse Genetic Approach to Identify Regulators of Pigmentation using Zebrafish

Published on: March 1, 2022

2.4K

Area of Science:

  • Paleogenetics
  • Human Evolution
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Light pigmentation alleles in Homo sapiens likely evolved multiple times outside Africa.
  • Selection pressures in low UV radiation environments favored lighter pigmentation, influenced by migration and genetic drift.
  • Understanding the tempo and mode of human pigmentation evolution is crucial for tracing population history.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a robust method for inferring pigmentation phenotypes from ancient DNA, even with low sequence coverage.
  • To reconstruct the evolutionary history of skin, eye, and hair color in ancient Eurasian populations over the last 45,000 years.
  • To investigate the timing and patterns of human pigmentation changes in relation to environmental factors and population movements.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated three pigmentation inference approaches using ancient DNA samples with varying sequence depths.
  • Developed a probabilistic method for estimating genotype likelihoods, proving most robust for suboptimal coverage (<8×).
  • Applied the optimized protocol to 348 ancient Eurasian genomes to analyze pigmentation trait evolution.

Main Results:

  • The shift towards lighter human pigmentation was gradual and slower than anticipated, with dark/intermediate skin colors persisting into the Bronze and Iron Ages.
  • A peak in light eye pigmentation was observed during the Mesolithic period.
  • The spread of Neolithic farmers correlated with accelerated changes in pigmentation across Western Eurasia, alongside localized gene flow effects.

Conclusions:

  • Human pigmentation evolution is a complex process influenced by both adaptive pressures and demographic factors.
  • Ancient DNA analysis, particularly with robust probabilistic methods, provides powerful insights into the evolutionary history of human traits.
  • The study refines our understanding of the timeline and geographical patterns of human adaptation to different UV radiation levels.