According to one anthropologist, homo sapiens spent most of their time outdoors. And mostly naked. In general, human skin can adapt to any environmental condition.
Throughout life, human skin responds to sun exposure in different ways. Gradually, for many, it darkens, as special cells that produce the protective element “eumelanin” begin to work. Thanks to this substance, harmful ultraviolet radiation is absorbed.
Individuals can produce varying amounts of eumelanin, depending on genetics. In a study on the evolution of human skin pigmentation, the paper’s author concluded that in ancient times, people’s skin color depended on the region in which they lived. For example, if it was near the equator (that is, where there was a lot of ultraviolet radiation), then people had darkly pigmented skin that tanned well and produced a lot of protective pigment. Those who lived in places where the amount of ultraviolet radiation depended on the season, the skin was clear and less protective pigment was produced.
At the same time, burns were very rare in our fair-skinned ancestors. This is because their skin is never exposed to a sudden and strong exposure to the sun. In other words, when the sun started to blush more strongly in the spring, the upper layer of people’s skin thickened.
True, this does not mean that no harm has been done to the skin. In fact, ancient people developed wrinkles much faster.
Over the past few centuries, people have been spending more and more time indoors and less time in the sun. Therefore, their skin did not have time to adapt to the level of sun exposure. This is why we use sunscreen today.
Source: Ferra
