Bai fu mei: China’s obsession with white skin and ‘trophy’ partners may stem from genetic mutation 15,000 years ago, scientists say
New international study led by Chinese team finds the diverging complexions of Han Chinese and native Africans and Southeast Asians was caused by a mutation of the OCA2 gene 15,224 years ago
Chinese people’s preference for paler or white-coloured skin originates from a “defective” gene, according to an international study led by Chinese scientists.
Men in the country can often seem obsessed with fair skin, especially in a partner, while many women have in the past favoured a Caucasian or “trophy” husband. This has long been dismissed as a social, economic or cultural problem, but new evidence suggests it may stem from a genetic predisposition.
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For thousands of years, China was ruled by pale-looking nobles in the north, and the invasion of Europeans in its more modern history further added to the perception that a white skin colouring was somehow superior.
But the new study found that the phenomenon could have a biological explanation dating back to prehistoric times as the relatively light skin colouring of the Han Chinese may derive from the same gene held responsible for a number of diseases.
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The researchers from China, the United States and Europe analysed genetic samples from more than 1,000 individuals and found that the fairer skin of the Han Chinese in comparison to people from Africa and Southeast Asia was caused by a mutation of the OCA2 gene.
