The first humans, who originated in Africa around 200,000 years ago, had dark skin. This dark skin evolved alongside the loss of body hair about 1.2 million years ago, likely as a protective mechanism against the intense sun exposure in Africa.
It's important to understand that skin color is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. While the first humans had dark skin, the diversity of skin tones we see today is a result of natural selection and adaptation to different environments over many thousands of years.
Here's why our ancestors evolved dark skin:
- Protection from UV radiation: Melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, helps protect against harmful UV radiation from the sun. Darker skin contains more melanin, providing better protection against sunburn, skin cancer, and folate depletion.
- Adaptation to tropical climates: Dark skin is more common in regions with high levels of sunlight, such as Africa, where it provided a survival advantage.
- Loss of body hair: As early humans moved onto the African savanna, they lost their body hair, leaving their skin exposed to the sun's rays. This triggered the evolution of darker skin to protect from the harmful effects of UV radiation.
While the first humans had dark skin, it's important to remember that skin color is a spectrum, and there was likely a range of pigmentation even within the early human population.
