“ According to Modi, the boy likely had darker skin than most modern Europeans, though not as dark as someone adapted to tropical climates. ”
In other words, his complexion was not sub-Saharan African, but more like Middle Eastern, unlike what the headline implied.
In Europe, humans needed lighter skin to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight. Lighter skinned people survived better.
Skin color correlates with latitude. Over time, people living in northern latitudes develop light skin. It’s a battle between skin cancer and Vitamin D deficiency. In northern climes, the vitamin issue wins out.
Also, the adult lactose tolerance gene highly correlates to light skin.