• Question: hi if at the start of humanity one person was one colour, then if we evolved then how come there are multi couloured people ( different coloured skin for differant race of people) ?

    Asked by rcpro to Angus, Christian, Hannah, Laura, Simon on 25 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Angus Ferraro

      Angus Ferraro answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      In parts of the world where the Sun is very strong, it’s useful to have dark skin which stops harmful ultraviolet radiation damaging it. But a little radiation is beneficial. For one thing, the body needs it to produce Vitamin D. If the Sun is weak, skin needs to be paler to allow it to get the radiation it needs to make vitamin D. This is why people originating near the Equator (where the Sun is strong) have darker skin than people originating further north or south (where the Sun is weaker).

    • Photo: Simon Holyoake

      Simon Holyoake answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      the answer is in the question, evolution!

      the origins of humanity are in africa, early humans had dark skin which helped protect them from the rays of the sun, when humans left africa, and moved north, any people born with lighter skin were no longer at a disadvantage and in fact at an advantage as they were better able to synthesise vitamin D from the weaker sunlight, therefore they were able to reproduce and pass their genes on, over time, more pale skinned people were born as the population increased

    • Photo: Laura Roberts Artal

      Laura Roberts Artal answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      I can’t really add anything to Simon and Angus’ answers, they’ve got it covered!

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