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Review
. 2020 Jan 19;17(2):646.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17020646.

Evolution, Prehistory and Vitamin D

Paul Jarrett  1   2 , Robert Scragg  3
Affiliations
Review

Evolution, Prehistory and Vitamin D

Paul Jarrett et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Aspects of human evolutionary biology and prehistory are discussed in relation to vitamin D. The evolution of hairlessness, combined with the need for efficient eccrine sweat production for cooling, provided evolutionary pressure to protect the skin from ultraviolet damage by developing cutaneous pigmentation. There was a subsequent loss of pigmentation as humans journeyed to northern latitudes. Their increasing mastery of technology outstripped evolution's finite pace as further dispersal occurred around the globe. A timeline for the development of clothing to provide warmth, and the consequent shielding from ultraviolet light, which diminished vitamin D synthesis, can be inferred by an examination of mutations in the human louse.

Keywords: Africa; clothing; evolution; folate; human; louse; migration; technology; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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