SUMMARY. Studies in the field of ancient DNA began thirty years ago. Key discoveries have shown that ancient DNA is an important tool in the search for difficult answers about our past. Studies on the genetics of pigmentation have shown that adaptation to different UV radiation was the main factor contributing to the formation of the current pigmentation pattern in Europe, but there is evidence highlighting the additional effect of sexual selection. Among the various genes described to play a role in determining human skin, hair, and eye color, HERC2, SLC24A4, and SLC45A2 appear to be most strongly associated with these phenotypic characteristics. Keywords: ancient DNA, genetics of pigmentation, melanin Introduction Archaeological human DNA remains are an important tool in the search for difficult answers about our past: the evolution and origin of the human species, the origin of our diseases, genetics and the evolution of our phenotypic characteristics. The first results in this field were obtained in 1985 by Pääbo et al from a 2430 year old Egyptian mummy (Kefi, 2011). This study used bacterial cloning to amplify small, old DNA sequences. With the development of improved techniques such as PCR and next-generation sequencing technologies, it has become possible to routinely isolate and amplify ancient DNA and overcome problems related to alteration of ancient DNA (Rizzi et. al, 2012). DNA depends not only on the age and type of the sample (Grigorenko et. al, 2009), but also on environmental conditions. Alteration of ancient DNA is a consequence of autolysis and microbial degradation, but humidity, high or highly variable temperatures, and very alkaline or acidic pH also contribute to t...... half of the paper.. ....d irises, Pigment Cell Melanoma Research 21: 97-105Walsh, S., Liu, F., Ballantyne, K.N., Oven, M., Lao, O., Kayser, M. (2011) IrisPlex: a sensitive DNA tool for accurate prediction of blue and brown eye color in the absence of ancestry information, Forensic Science International: Genetics, 5, 170-180 Walsh, S., Liu, F., Wollstein, A. , Kovatsi, L., Ralf, A., Kosiniak-Kamysz, A., Branicki, W., Kayser, M. (2013) The system HIrisPlex for simultaneous hair and eye color prediction from DNA, Forensic Science International: Genetics, 7, 98-115Wang, Y., Li, S.M., Huang, J., Chen, S.Y., Liu, Y.P. (2014) Le Mutations in the TYR and MITF genes are associated with plumage color phenotypes in geese, Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science, 27(6), 778-783Wasmeier, C., Hume, AN, Bolasco, G., Seabra, MC (2008) Melanosomes in synthesis, Journal of cell science, 121, 3995-3999