So the washington compost is now planting the seed that white skin is a mutation.
The story says the specific gene was found.
The evolutionary adaptation that produced reduced melanin to promote health in northern latitudes has long been known. The mutated gene causing that adaptation has now been specifically determined
People are picking up mutations all the time. Radiation from atmospheric , ultraviolet or cosmic radiation or radioactivity can cause chemical changes in organic compounds, e.g., sunburn or the degradation of PVC pipe. When change occurs on DNA chain, and it is passed on to an individual’s descendants, its called a “mutation”.
The mutation usually has no effect on the host’s physiology but occasionally it does. Depending on the local environment the mutation could create a survival advantage or a survival disadvantage by affecting physical, mental prowess, or resistance to disease. Sexual selection is a factor (preference for blonde vs dark hair, slanted vs round eyes, or whether it’s cool to be smart or stupid).
Dark pigmentation is an advantage where the sun is intense, but the mutation causing depigmentation is an advantage in cloudy northern Europe because it benefits vitamin D absorption.