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Cited by 155

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Skin Color and Nutrient Photolysis: An Evolutionary Hypothesis

Branda, Richard F., Eaton, John W.·1978·Science
DOI 10.1126/science.675247
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Abstract

Human populations native to areas of intense sunlight tend to be heavily melanized. Previous explanations for this relationship have invoked only weak selective pressures. To test the hypothesis that dark pigmentation may protect against photolysis of crucial light-sensitive vitamins and metabolites by ultraviolet light, folate was used as a model. It was found that exposure of human plasma in vitro to simulated strong sunlight causes 30 to 50 percent loss of folate within 60 minutes. Furthermore, light-skinned patients exposed to ultraviolet light for dermatologic disorders have abnormally low serum folate concentrations, suggesting that photolysis may also occur in vivo. Deficiency of folate, which occurs in many marginally nourished populations, causes severe anemia, fetal wastage, frank infertility, and maternal mortality. Prevention of ultraviolet photolysis of folate and other light-sensitive nutrients by dark skin may be sufficient explanation for the maintenance of this characteristic in human groups indigenous to regions of intense solar radiation.

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Research works printed but not linked: 15

  1. BERGER, D.S., SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN OF SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET SIMULATORS, JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY 53: 192 (1969). · DOI
  2. BLAKELY, R.L., BIOCH FOLIC ACID REL: 411 (1969).
  3. BRACE, C.L., STRUCTURAL REDUCTION IN EVOLUTION, AMERICAN NATURALIST 97: 39 (1963). · DOI
  4. BRACE, C.L., MANS EVOLUTION INTRO: 271 (1965).
  5. DANIELS, F, PIGMENTATION ITS GEN: 13 (1972).
  6. DUNN, R.T., RADIOASSAY OF SERUM FOLATE, CLINICAL CHEMISTRY 19: 1101 (1973). · DOI
  7. FREEMAN, R.G., RELATIVE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR AN ERYTHEMAL RESPONSE OF SKIN TO MONOCHROMATIC WAVE LENGTHS OF ULTRAVIOLET PRESENT IN SOLAR SPECTRUM, JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY 47: 586 (1966). · DOI
  8. GIVAS, J.K., PH-DEPENDENCE OF BINDING OF FOLATES TO MILK BINDER IN RADIOASSAY OF FOLATES, CLINICAL CHEMISTRY 21: 427 (1975). · DOI
  9. PARRISH, J.A., PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY OF PSORIASIS WITH ORAL METHOXSALEN AND LONGWAVE ULTRAVIOLET-LIGHT, NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 291: 1207 (1974). · DOI · Paper page
  10. SAUBERLICH, H.E., FOLIC ACID BIOCH PHY: 213 (1977).
  11. SCHULZE, R, BIOL EFFECTS ULTRAVI: 367 (1969).
  12. SHUSTER, S, FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY IN PATIENTS WITH SKIN DISEASE, BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY 79: 398 (1967). · DOI
  13. STOKSTAD, ELR, THE INACTIVATION OF PTEROYLGLUTAMIC ACID (LIVER LACTOBACILLUS CASEI FACTOR) LIGHT, JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 167: 877 (1947). · DOI
  14. WASLIEN, C.I., FOLIC ACID BIOCH PHY: 232 (1977).
  15. WATERS, A.H., STUDIES ON FOLIC ACID ACTIVITY OF HUMAN SERUM, JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY 14: 335 (1961). · DOI

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Metadata

Authors
Branda, R. F., & Eaton, J. W.
Affiliations
Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455
Venue
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Published
1978-08-18
Volume
201
Issue
4356
Pages
625-626
ISSN
  • 0036-8075
  • 1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.675247
Cited by
155
References
0
Language
en

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