DNA suggests 10,000-year-old Brit had dark skin, blue eyes
LONDON -- Researchers say DNA from a 10,000-year-old skeleton found in an English cave suggests he had dark skin and blue eyes.
Scientists from Britain's Natural History Museum and University College London have analyzed the genome of "Cheddar Man," who was found in Cheddar Gorge in southwest England in 1903. It is the oldest complete skeleton found in Britain.
VIDEO: Suspected Nazi artifacts found hidden in Argentina home
Scientists led by museum DNA expert Ian Barnes drilled into the skull to extract DNA from bone powder. They say analysis indicates he had blue eyes, dark curly hair and "dark to black" skin pigmentation.
VIDEO: SF antique store robbed of $40,000 worth of artifacts
The researchers said Wednesday that the evidence suggests that Europeans' pale skin tones developed much later than previously thought.
The findings will be shown in a documentary on Britain's Channel 4 television on Feb. 18.
Click here for more videos and stories about history.
