Pigmentation Standards :

[Hussar]

One of the most unsolved problems of anthropologic science since the begin is the existence of an heterogeneous set of different standards (author by author).

This kind of problems is often present in the discussions on the anthropologic boards.
What is "dark" for scandinavians isn't dark for iberians for example.



On this thread i'd like we could clarify better this subject, with the help of the partecipants.
Everyone of us should post example of what he/she consider DARK or LIGHT or INTERMEDIATE (all the colour shades from Blond to Black/brunet). Starting with HAIR.


(the luck to post on the international boards : many peoples of different nationalities and ethnicities who can contribute expressing their own standards)


What means "brunet" for you ? (just to start)

[Tabiti]

"Classical" brunet for me is someone with brown (light brown, medium brown, chestnut, dark brown) hair and brown eyes.

[Comte Arnau]

[Mesrine]

Perfect sample, especially the Mediterranean.

[Hussar]

This is what i consider BRUNET :

[Damião de Góis]

[

Mediterranean "Olive" is not that dark. Isn't Teresa Salgueiro a better example?

Or Isabel Figueira

[Mesrine]

Mediterranean "Olive" is not that dark. Isn't Teresa Salgueiro a better example?

Or Isabel Figueira

No, Salgueiro is deceptively dark on some pics, and Figueira is just tanned. Ibex's example of a genuine Olive complexion seems right to me.

[Hussar]

At this point.........is the intermediate the most difficult category to define.

[Damião de Góis]

I am thinking southern euro with the term "mediterranean olive" and that complexion is unusual here and everywhere else in southern europe. I think it doesn't get darker than say Nuno Gomes and Alessandro Nesta without foreign admix.

[Comte Arnau]

Mediterranean "Olive" is not that dark. Isn't Teresa Salgueiro a better example?
I am thinking southern euro with the term "mediterranean olive" and that complexion is unusual here and everywhere else in southern europe.

It's a matter of names, in fact. Southern Europeans are usually not Mediterranean/Olive when untanned, but many can approach that shade when tanned. In fact, variability in Southern European skin is high, going from light to olive.

That pictorial sample was made by me based on a simple old well-known scheme by Fitzgerald. So it's just to have a quick general idea.

Following the Jablonski & Chaplin study on human skin coloration, we could be a bit more accurate and classify it like this:

(Numbers are of the values given on skin reflectance. Division and labelling is mine. Examples are from the study)

+ 70.0 VERY LIGHT

+ 66.6 +LIGHT Netherlands, Germany (Mainz), UK (Cumberland)
+ 63.3 LIGHT Northern UK, Ireland, Spain (Basques, Leon), Wales
+ 60.0 -LIGHT Belgium, UK (London), Iraq/Syria (Kurds)

+ 56.6 +LIGHT INTERMEDIATE Southern China, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Algeria
+ 53.3 LIGHT INTERMEDIATE Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran, S Greenland, Japan, Morocco, Tibet, Libya, Punjab, Philippines, Cambodia, Chechnya
+ 50.0 -LIGHT INTERMEDIATE Northern India, Jordan, Arabia, Pakistan, South Africa (Cape), Eastern Nepal

+ 46.6 +INTERMEDIATE India (Bengal), Peru (Nunoa), Brazilian Guaranis, Botswana (Khoi people), Southern India
+ 43.3 INTERMEDIATE India, Southern Libya, Southern Africa (San people), Peru (Maranon)
+ 40.0 -INTERMEDIATE Peru, South Africa, Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby)

+ 36.6 +DARK INTERMEDIATE
+ 33.3 DARK INTERMEDIATE Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Mali (Dogon people), Ethiopian Highlands,
+ 30.0 -DARK INTERMEDIATE Zaire, Kenya, India (Orissa), Namibia (Rehoboth Baster), Ethiopia

+ 26.6 +DARK Liberia, Burkina Faso (Kurumba), Nigeria (Ebo, Yoruba), Malawi
+ 23.3 DARK Namibia, Tanzania (Nyatura), Chad (Sara)
+ 20.0 -DARK Namibia (Okavango)

- 20.0 VERY DARK Mozambique (Chopi), Australia (Darwin)