The situation that people have different skin colors, which forms the basis of racism, has been investigated by scientists for many years. Many pseudoscientists offer frivolous reasons for this, but recent research has shown that the evolution of skin color has a direct relationship with the geography in which people with that skin color live and the sun’s rays they are exposed to.
The emergence of skin colors is purely evolutionary. Because the sun rays, namely ultraviolet rays, that we are exposed to at any time both give us a vitamin we need and destroy another vitamin we need. As a result, human beings adapt their skin color to the environment in which they live in order to survive. Let’s take a closer look at the emergence of skin colors and the evolution of skin colors according to science.
It all started when we lost our hair:
Let’s go back a few million years and think about our feathered ancestors who lived in the African savannah. Their skin color was unknown. Because their bodies were covered with feathers, just like the chimpanzees and gorillas considered our evolutionary cousins. Today, however, we know that chimpanzees and gorillas have pale skin under their thick black hairs.
When our feathered ancestors turned into bipedal creatures, temperature control began to be provided by sweat glands, not hairs. With the increase of sweat glands and the reduction of hair to a great extent, people with white skin emerged. However, this situation brought with it a problem; What would happen to a person exposed to such intense sunlight?
Let’s keep folate and take vitamin D; well how?
Today we know that the sun’s rays are extremely important for both our physical and mental health. However, the ultraviolet rays we are exposed to with the sun’s rays also harm us. While ultraviolet rays destroy a vitamin called folic acid or folate, they provide us with a vitamin we call vitamin D.
Folate is one of the most important substances necessary for fetal development, especially in pregnant women. Vitamin D is the number one actor of many development processes, especially strong bones. Humanity, who said to keep folate and get vitamin D, developed dark skin in the evolutionary process and started to get away from the negative effects of sun rays and get their positive effects.
The appearance of different skin colors:
As the proportion of melanin, which gives human skin its dark color, increased, people developed pigmentation and became much darker skinned. Because it was the only way to withstand the scorching sun of the equatorial region. In its broadest definition, dark skin acted as a sunscreen for people and prevented the negative effects of sun rays.
Dark skin, which was quite functional in the equatorial region, became less useful when people started to migrate to other parts of the world. Because when the already insufficient sunlight was blocked by dark skin, vitamin D intake almost came to a standstill.
Since vitamin D is not a stored type of vitamin, people have become fair-skinned in order to benefit from even the slightest sunlight. However, it may come as a surprise that Canadian and Alaska Natives have dark skin. However, this is where eating habits come into play. Seafood also contains vitamin D. It is therefore understandable that groups of people who can consume seafood still have a dark complexion.
What is the relationship between the evolution of skin colors and skin cancer?
The main purpose of all living things is to reproduce, that is to survive. Therefore, the evolutionary process aims to build the skills necessary for reproduction and survival. It is true that skin color has evolved to increase survival skills, but it is not directly related to skin cancer, as has been claimed for many years.
It’s true that fair-skinned people have a higher risk of skin cancer, but skin cancer occurs later in life, when people are past their reproductive age. Therefore, the claim that skin colors have evolved against skin cancer is not quite true. Because those who reproduce have already reproduced, no living thing evolves to live a good old age.
How did the intermediate colors come about?
Even if racists want to see people as two colors, black and white, even if we look around, we can see that almost every person has a unique skin color. The reason for this situation is also related to the geography in which the person lives.
The sun’s rays hit everywhere differently. Therefore, the evolution of skin colors has been shaped accordingly. While people living in the equatorial region have the darkest skin color, the skin color of people gradually lightened as they moved away from this region.
Does the evolution of skin colors continue?
We cannot say that the evolution of skin colors still continues today. Because we are comfortable now. We build structures that will not be directly exposed to the sun, we apply strong sunscreens, we wear special clothes, so we can somehow avoid the negative effects of the sun.
You can witness that people living in the coastal areas start life white and have a darker skin over time. However, this is not inherited, it is simply an external factor. Fedon, who we know with his dark bronze skin, might turn into a white person if he lived in the Black Sea for a few years.
We answered questions such as why we have different skin colors, how did the evolution of skin colors occur, and we talked about the details you need to know about the subject. What’s the point of separating people by skin color because we’re all trying to survive?
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