June 30, 2014

In Human Evolution, Changes in Skin’s Barrier Set Northern Europeans Apart



UCSF Study Questions Role of Skin Pigment in Enabling Survival at Higher Latitudes

The popular idea that Northern Europeans developed light skin to absorb more UV light so they could make more vitamin D – vital for healthy bones and immune function – is questioned by UC San Francisco researchers in a new study published online in the journal Evolutionary Biology.