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Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence that this trait evolved by natural selection.

User Jiin
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Final answer:

The relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence of natural selection. Darker skin protects against UV radiation in sunny areas while lighter skin allows for Vitamin D synthesis in sunlight-deprived areas.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence that this trait evolved by natural selection. Darker skin is an evolutionary adaptation that helps protect people from the damaging effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. In sunny locations, darker-skinned people have an advantage because they are better protected from the harmful effects of UV radiation.

On the other hand, in sunlight-deprived areas like northern Europe, darker skin prevents the body from producing adequate amounts of Vitamin D from sunlight. As a result, lighter skin provides an advantage in these regions. The amount of UV radiation in different areas of the world predicts the predicted skin colors of people living in those regions.

Overall, the variation in skin color is a result of natural selection adapting populations to different levels of UV radiation, providing evidence that this trait evolved to protect individuals from the damaging effects of the sun's rays.

User Quintec
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