The alleles associated with light pigmentation swept to near fixation outside of Africa due to positive selection, and we show that these lineages coalesce ~ 60 ka, corresponding with the time of migration of modern humans out of Africa. (science.sciencemag.org)
We also identify variants at OCA2 that are correlated with alternative splicing; alleles associated with light pigmentation are correlated with a shorter transcript, which lacks a transmembrane domain. (science.sciencemag.org)
The discovery suggests that the lighter pigmentation now considered to be a defining feature of northern Europe is a far more recent phenomenon. (sciencedaily.com)