OSTA 2019 Fall Conference on Science Education

Our human ancestors in Africa likely had dark skin, which is produced by an abundance of the pigment eumelanin in skin cells. In the high ultraviolet (UV) environment of sub-Saharan (or equatorial) Africa, darker skin protects against the damaging effects of UV radiation.The variation in skin color that evolved since our human ancestors migrated out of Africa can be explained by the trade-off between protection from UV and the need for some UV absorption for the production of vitamin D. Using the case study, "Human Skin Color: Evidence for Selection," participants will use real data to propose hypotheses, make predictions, and justify claims with evidence, as an exploration of concepts presented in the short film The Biology of Skin Color.