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The Biology of Skin Color

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Gene Expression & Regulation
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Skin & Musculoskeletal System
  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Human Evolution

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:18:58
Used In
1 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
118 Users
Share This
View in Spanish

Description

This film explores the hypothesis that different tones of skin color in humans arose as adaptations to the intensity of ultraviolet radiation in different parts of the world.

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. Anthropologist Dr. Nina Jablonski explains that 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.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

adaptation, anthropology, folate, melanin, melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), pigmentation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, vitamin D

Primary Literature

Jablonski, Nina G. Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2012.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files partially meet criteria. Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 06.29.15
Date Updated 05.14.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS3.A, HS-LS3.B, HS-LS4.A, HS-LS4.C

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1, EVO-3, IST-1. IST-2, SYI-3

IB Biology (2016)

1.2, 2.6, 3.4, 5.1, 10.2

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6, 9.1, 4.7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

8.1

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC2

Materials

HD (M4V) 682 MB
HD (WMV) 561 MB
SD (M4V) 152 MB
SD (WMV) 143 MB
Transcript (PDF) 206 KB
Spanish Dub (Español) (MP4) 331 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 298 KB
Abbreviated Film Guide (PDF) 840 KB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Activity for The Biology of Skin Color
Activity Resource
Zebrafish and Skin Color
Activity Resource
Understanding Variation in Human Skin Color
Activity Resource
Human Skin Color: Evidence for Selection

Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
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1-Minute Tips

The Biology of Skin Color and Hypothesis Testing

Kenyatta McKie describes how she uses "The Biology of Skin Color" short film to allow students to think of their own hypothesis on how skin color evolved.
View Article
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Educator in front of an animation of a skin cell Play Video Next Slide Next Slide
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1-Minute Tips

The Biology of Skin Color

John Moore describes how he uses the short film "The Biology of Skin Color" with his college students to teach them about the nature of science and hypothesis-driven exploration.
View Article
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Educator standing in front of an illustration of DNA. Play Video Next Slide Next Slide
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1-Minute Tips

Human Skin Color: Evidence for Selection

Helen Snodgrass describes how she uses BioInteractive's "The Biology of Skin Color" film and "Evidence for Selection" activity to show students how humans have evolved over time.
View Article
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This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists

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By: BioInteractive
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