Question

Discuss how natural selection has likely influenced the evolution of skin color in humans

Answer 1

Human skin color ranges from black to white. It depends on skin pigmentation, which depends on genetics and heredity. Skin pigmentation has evolved through natural selection mainly to regulate the ultraviolet radiation penetrating the skin.

There is a direct correlation between the geographic location and the skin color. Areas having higher UVR is closer to the equator and have darker-skinned populations. Areas far from the tropics have lower UVR and have lighter-skinned populations. The phenomena behind is that skin color adapts to intense UVR to provide protection against the ultraviolet fraction that can produces damage. It can also cause mutations in the DNA of the skin cells. Also, adult human females are slightly lighter in skin pigmentation than males. The credit goes to natural selection which led females with lighter skin than males because women must get enough vitamin D and calcium to support the development of fetus and nursing infant and to maintain their own health.