how do other races get dark?

I was wondering is the reason why some races who started off with really light skin able to get their skinned darkend, is it because they have some black african in their genes?

People like Puerto ricans, and all hispanics, Cambodians, Filipinos, some middle east people...Are all able to get their skin to be dark is it because they have black African blood?

Excellent answer. I am pretty sure that you are correct.

Europeans can't tan their skin darker? Depends on what you mean by "dark" of course, but I live in Scandinavia and there are many here with skin tanned to the extent that it looks brown (I've only seen one or two people with the orange effect xi tujue mentions), either through artificial tanning or simply being outdoors, and yet I doubt we have many africans in our genes.

It's probably not that they have African blood (well except in the sense that everyone does ;) ) but their skin is dark for the same *reason* as africans-- living in a tropical area for thousands of years. 

Or the opposite you could say "What makes some people have light skin?" -- Moving out of a tropical area and living with weak northern sun for a few millenia ;)

THANX EVERYONE FOR ANSWERING! YOU ALL ARE GREAT!

Originally posted by Adalwolf I'm not a redhead, but my dad is, and I don't tan well at all. I just get red for a few hours and then go back to my normal, 'white', color.

Your dad can't get a tan he only gets frekles. am I right?


whats the deal with asian people. For instance japanese women are verry light skinned but alot of men are quite darker. and those farmers in all of asia are quite dark

Well there is only one skin colour in humans. The darkness/fairness of the skin depends on the amount of melanin pigment. The more melanin you have the darker your skin will be. For example, in leopards, you may know of the 'Black Leopards' or 'Panthers' - they are simply normal leopards with larger amounts of melanin. Melanin acts as a sunscreen in a way - Giraffe's tongues are purple (lots of melanin) and therefore act as a 'sunscreen' for the giraffe tongue which is poking out (for feeding) for a lot of the day. An adverse effect can occur too, where lack of melanin pigmentation production causes fairness. If you want more detailed/scientific information let me know - that's just a basic overview.

- Knights -

Originally posted by AfrikaJamaika Originally posted by xi_tujue whats the deal with asian people. For instance japanese women are verry light skinned but alot of men are quite darker. and those farmers in all of asia are quite dark Exactly! How are they able to get dark like that? Because i know some asians that cant.....

I realy don't know (I would give you the awnser if I knew)

Originally posted by Adalwolf I'm not a redhead, but my dad is, and I don't tan well at all.

I am in a similar situation. My grandmother was a redhead, and she could not go out in the sun very often, because she would freckle. However, I think because I am half-Italian (from the Southern boot of Italy), even though I am paler than anyone in my family, the body hair protects the skin a little bit. Anyways, I would agree with the thesis that the sun has made the peoples of Africa darker. This has always been my theory.

Originally posted by AfrikaJamaika Originally posted by xi_tujue whats the deal with asian people. For instance japanese women are verry light skinned but alot of men are quite darker. and those farmers in all of asia are quite dark Exactly! How are they able to get dark like that? Because i know some asians that cant.....