On 04-08-98 Andrew Cummins wrote to Keith Knapp... 
 AC> Nonsense.  There are only a few genes that code for skin color 
 AC> and there are millions of whites without a gene for black skin. 
I rather thought the skin color was rather more complex Andrew; as 
I understand it, melanin is responsible, but the cause of that has 
not clearly been identified. 
 AC>  
 AC> BTW, do you think it would be more accurate for depictions 
 AC> of ape-men to have black skin? 
The ones I have seen look pretty dark, but not black; however, the 
question of hair, or fur, would also enter in, and AFAIK, there is 
no evidence of that one way or the other. 
 
I have seen reconstructions of the natural desert mummies from the 
Chinese/Turkestan region which reveal Aryans with red hair, which, 
however, they depict also with darkly tanned skin. go figure. 
 
There are cave/monestary paintings there from the 5th cent BCE, in 
which they're painted with white skin, red hair, gold halos around 
their heads- looking rather *Byzantine*, but in this case, instead 
of Jesus, it is the *Buddha*.  Imagine: ancient Aryan Buddhists. 
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