Europeans, especially those from northern and eastern Europe, are unique in having diverse hair and eye colors and a skin almost as pale as an albino’s. Those colors are not only brighter than the original black and brown but also “purer”—they lie within thin slices of the visible spectrum. Overall, that color scheme is more developed in women, who naturally have a higher incidence of red hair, blonde hair, and green eyes. They also have fairer skin. The distinguishing features of Europeans began as female features.

A visual transformation occurred among ancestral humans on the open plains of Europe, and it began among their women. It also occurred over a short span of time—less than ten thousand years. Why? How? That is the puzzle this book will address.