Posted: Apr 10, 2018 2:21 pm
Papa Smurf wrote:The_Piper wrote:My cause for doubt is that if people can reproduce, those genes will make it into the next generation. But we don't even need to think about grandparents (or aunts and uncles, and other relatives who contribute to reproductive success), if the parents don't survive long enough to see their offspring reach sexual maturity because they got skin cancer and died.
True, dying before reproducing would make it a stronger factor than if it's just the grandparents thing. The only point I was trying to make is that it could still be the major driving force even if it only affects the grandparents, even though it might be a weaker force and the evolution towards darker skin might take a bit longer as a result.
I agree.
Me too. But I should probably amend that to dying before age 30-ish, because parents still need to raise their young long enough for them to survive on their own. Of course, other surviving parents, relatives or non-related members of the community could continue raising those kids after their parent(s) die.Papa Smurf wrote:Actually, I wonder how likely it is for someone with fair skin to die of skin cancer before they turn 20, even if they live under the blazing African sun.