In anthropology, reflectometry devices are often used to gauge human skin color through the measurement of skin reflectance. These devices are typically pointed at the upper arm or forehead, with the emitted waves then interpreted at various percentages. Lower frequencies represent lower skin reflectance and thus darker pigmentation, whereas higher frequencies represent greater skin reflectance and therefore lighter pigmentation.[1]
Below are global estimates of skin reflectance frequencies in various countries, populations and areas as observed and predicted by Jablonski and Chaplin.[1]
| Country/Population/Area | Hemisphere | Reflectance site | Observed reflectance at 685 nm | Predicted reflectance at 685 nm | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center | 1 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 55.70 | 45.55 | ||
| align=center | 2 | align=center | Algeria (Aures) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 58.05 | 47.91 | |
| align=center | 3 | align=center | Australia (Darwin) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 19.30 | 36.24 | |
| align=center | 4 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 63.14 | 65.66 | ||
| align=center | 5 | align=center | Botswana (San) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 42.40 | 39.45 | |
| align=center | 6 | align=center | Brazil (Caingan) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 49.40 | 48.53 | |
| align=center | 7 | align=center | Brazil (Guaraní) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 47.20 | 45.29 | |
| align=center | 8 | align=center | Burkina Faso (Kurumba) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 28.60 | 34.23 | |
| align=center | 9 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.00 | 38.99 | ||
| align=center | 10 | align=center | Cameroon (Fali) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 21.50 | 34.37 | |
| align=center | 11 | align=center | Chad (Sara) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 24.60 | 34.77 | |
| align=center | 12 | align=center | China (Southern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 59.17 | 50.49 | |
| align=center | 13 | align=center | China (Tibet) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.70 | 41.78 | |
| align=center | 14 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 35.60 | 44.62 | ||
| align=center | 15 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 31.70 | 32.70 | ||
| align=center | 16 | align=center | Ethiopia (Highland) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 33.55 | 31.35 | |
| align=center | 17 | align=center | Germany (Mainz) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 66.90 | 65.21 | |
| align=center | 18 | align=center | Greenland (Southern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 55.70 | 70.31 | |
| align=center | 19 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 44.60 | 48.85 | ||
| align=center | 20 | align=center | India (Bengal) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 49.73 | 44.33 | |
| align=center | 21 | align=center | India (Goa) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 46.40 | 38.93 | |
| align=center | 22 | align=center | India (Nagpur) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 41.30 | 41.53 | |
| align=center | 23 | align=center | India (Northern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 53.26 | 44.23 | |
| align=center | 24 | align=center | India (Orissa) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 32.05 | 41.52 | |
| align=center | 25 | align=center | India (Punjab) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.24 | 47.89 | |
| align=center | 26 | align=center | India (Rajasthan) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 52.00 | 42.19 | |
| align=center | 27 | align=center | India (Southern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 46.70 | 37.60 | |
| align=center | 28 | align=center | Iraq/Syria (Kurds) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 61.12 | 51.50 | |
| align=center | 29 | align=center | Ireland (Ballinlough) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 65.20 | 67.11 | |
| align=center | 30 | align=center | Ireland (Carnew) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 64.50 | 65.84 | |
| align=center | 31 | align=center | Ireland (Longford) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 65.00 | 66.99 | |
| align=center | 32 | align=center | Ireland (Rossmore) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 64.75 | 66.73 | |
| align=center | 33 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 58.20 | 48.67 | ||
| align=center | 34 | align=center | Israel (Kurdish Jews)[2] | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Medial aspect of upper arm | align=center | 54.89–60.02 | ||
| align=center | 35 | align=center | Israel (Yemeni Jews) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Medial aspect of upper arm | align=center | 53.15–56.94 | ||
| align=center | 36 | align=center | Japan (Central) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 55.42 | 58.51 | |
| align=center | 37 | align=center | Japan (Hidakka) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 59.10 | 63.58 | |
| align=center | 38 | align=center | Japan (Northern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.90 | 61.34 | |
| align=center | 39 | align=center | Japan (Southwest) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 53.55 | 56.68 | |
| align=center | 40 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 55.42 | 58.51 | ||
| align=center | 41 | align=center | Jordan (Arabs)[3] | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Forehead | align=center | 44.2–47.1 | ||
| align=center | 42 | align=center | Jordan (Arabs) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Medial aspect of upper arm | align=center | 48.0–52.7 | ||
| align=center | 43 | align=center | Jordan (Chechen) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Forehead | align=center | 50.9–52.5 | ||
| align=center | 44 | align=center | Jordan (Chechen) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Medial aspect of upper arm | align=center | 51.9–55.0 | ||
| align=center | 45 | align=center | Jordan (Druze, males) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Forehead | align=center | 48.5 | ||
| align=center | 46 | align=center | Jordan (Druze, males) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Medial aspect of upper arm | align=center | 52.8 | ||
| align=center | 47 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 32.40 | 34.21 | ||
| align=center | 48 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 58.20 | 50.74 | ||
| align=center | 49 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 29.40 | 40.52 | ||
| align=center | 50 | align=center | Libya (Cyrenaica) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 53.50 | 44.19 | |
| align=center | 51 | align=center | Libya (Fezzan) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 44.00 | 41.31 | |
| align=center | 52 | align=center | Libya (Tripoli) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.40 | 48.83 | |
| align=center | 53 | align=center | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 27.00 | 38.67 | ||
| align=center | 54 | align=center | Mali (Dogon) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 34.10 | 34.54 | |
| align=center | 55 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.85 | 49.09 | ||
| align=center | 56 | align=center | Mozambique (Chopi) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 19.45 | 43.84 | |
| align=center | 57 | align=center | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 25.55 | 38.29 | ||
| align=center | 58 | align=center | Namibia (Okavango) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 22.92 | 38.63 | |
| align=center | 59 | align=center | Namibia (Reheboth Baster) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 32.90 | 36.49 | |
| align=center | 60 | align=center | Nepal (Eastern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 50.42 | 46.31 | |
| align=center | 61 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 67.37 | 65.94 | ||
| align=center | 62 | align=center | Nigeria (Ebo) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 28.20 | 41.86 | |
| align=center | 63 | align=center | Nigeria (Yoruba) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 27.40 | 39.62 | |
| align=center | 64 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 52.30 | 44.15 | ||
| align=center | 65 | align=center | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 35.30 | 37.26 | ||
| align=center | 66 | align=center | Papua New Guinea (Goroka) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 33.30 | 34.20 | |
| align=center | 67 | align=center | Papua New Guinea (Karker) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 32.00 | 37.25 | |
| align=center | 68 | align=center | Papua New Guinea (Lufa) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 31.20 | 36.88 | |
| align=center | 69 | align=center | Papua New Guinea (Mount Hagan) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 35.35 | 31.56 | |
| align=center | 70 | align=center | Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 41.00 | 35.45 | |
| align=center | 71 | align=center | Peru (Maranon) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 43.05 | 42.28 | |
| align=center | 72 | align=center | Peru (Nunoa) | align=center | Southern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 47.70 | 34.89 | |
| align=center | 73 | align=center | Philippines (Manila) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 54.10 | 41.53 | |
| align=center | 74 | align=center | Russia (Chechen) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 53.45 | 59.04 | |
| align=center | 75 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 52.50 | 38.65 | ||
| align=center | 76 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 42.50 | 45.67 | ||
| align=center | 77 | align=center | South Africa (Cape) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 50.96 | 50.71 | |
| align=center | 78 | align=center | South Africa (Hottentot) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 46.80 | 43.91 | |
| align=center | 79 | align=center | South Africa (San Central) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 43.75 | 41.14 | |
| align=center | 80 | align=center | Spain (Basques) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 65.70 | 62.38 | |
| align=center | 81 | align=center | Spain (Leon) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 64.66 | 60.80 | |
| align=center | 82 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 35.50 | 33.45 | ||
| align=center | 83 | align=center | Tanzania (Nyatura) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 25.80 | 34.12 | |
| align=center | 84 | align=center | Tanzania (Sandewe) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 28.90 | 32.13 | |
| align=center | 85 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 56.30 | 52.03 | ||
| align=center | 86 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 59.15 | 55.56 | ||
| align=center | 87 | align=center | United Kingdom (Cumberland) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 66.75 | 66.99 | |
| align=center | 88 | align=center | United Kingdom (London) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 62.30 | 65.84 | |
| align=center | 89 | align=center | United Kingdom (Northern) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 66.10 | 67.49 | |
| align=center | 90 | align=center | United Kingdom (Wales) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 65.00 | 66.15 | |
| align=center | 91 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 55.90 | 43.59 | ||
| align=center | 92 | align=center | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 33.20 | 37.46 | ||
| align=center | 93 | align=center | Zaire (Konda) | align=center | Northern hemisphere | align=center | Upper inner arm | align=center | 29.40 | 39.43 |