eli5: If more melanin is advantageous in warm climates, why is less of it advantageous in colder climates? Wouldn’t darker skin still be most advantageous in cold climates where it might occasionally be hot?

Question

eli5: If more melanin is advantageous in warm climates, why is less of it advantageous in colder climates? Wouldn’t darker skin still be most advantageous in cold climates where it might occasionally be hot?

In: 1641

Answer 1

No because in regions with less sunlight there is also less vitamin D. I’m a biology major and actually we recently talked about this in one of our assignments. Having less melanin in areas with less sunlight allows you to get more vitamin D.

There are acceptions to the rule, as there are darker skin natives in some cold climates. I can’t remember the reasoning behind that. But generally, having less melanin allows for more vitamin D.