Inuit Diets Supported Darker Skin

Inuit populations retained relatively darker skin at Arctic latitudes partly because their traditional diets supplied vitamin D through fatty fish instead of relying entirely on sunlight. At northern latitudes, limited ultraviolet light generally favored lighter skin because lower melanin levels help the body produce vitamin D more efficiently. Because Inuit diets already supplied the vitamin, they faced less evolutionary pressure to develop paler skin solely for vitamin D production.

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