skin tone

[stackmouse]

My friend says that skin tone is based your ancestors location in the world in relation to the equator. This doesn't make sense to me because yes you tan, but your skin tone goes back to what it normally was. Wouldn't skin tone be based on your original ancestors, not where they lived, I mean, not every family tree started with people of a certain skin tone and then it changed because someone moved somewhere right?

[mith]

They are not talking about tanning, they are talking about the permanent color.

[stackmouse]

ya the permanent color, does it have anything to do with location relative to the equator?

as in closer to equator = darker
further away = lighter

???

[mith]

yes, it is related to folate destruction and vitamin d absorption.

[Darby]

And it's more sunlight exposure - equatorial jungle dwellers are lighter, temperate plains people are darker.

[MichaelXY]

Dark skin blocks light, thus keeping blood cooler. Lighter skin allows more light to pass allowing blood to warm up. Now relate that to location.

[khelben1979]

Dark skin blocks light, thus keeping blood cooler. Lighter skin allows more light to pass allowing blood to warm up. Now relate that to location.

I have known this for years, but well written! (This is my first post on this forum b.t.w, thought I should comment on something... )

[Darby]

But dark pigments absorb more light - light skin reflects more. Light absorption as a supplement to metabolic heat seems iffy.