Socioeconomics and Human Evolution

  High Levels of Solar Radiation: The sun is one of the most important part of our natural world. It creates light, plants use it for photosynthesis which in turn gives us oxygen, it heats our otherwise cold planet. But like anything, too much of a good thing can have disasterous consequences. While overheating can be an immediate signal that you've been in the sun too long, another, more long term, consequence could be, the acceleration of cosmetic aging, skin cancer, and other consequences. To adapt to this, humans developed a melanin production which is a pigmentation of the skin due to two clines, high UVR and low UVD, thus giving us the spectrum of skin color we see today.  Faculative adaptation: One way humans have adapted to the suns rays are by tanning. Tanning is an adjustment of phenotype due to an environmental stressed, than returns to its natural state in days, if not a few weeks depending on how severe and continued stressors. To do this the human body increases ...

The year is 1908 in Piltdown, UK., Charles Dawson is said to have been given a fragment of a skull, an ancestor to humans, a ‘missing link’ they called it, despite the ‘missing link’ idea being incorrect, by workmen. Charles, whose history of forgeries had yet to be unearthed, is said to have taken this monumental discovery. 4 years and multiple returns to the supposed sight later, he would be in front of the Scientific community proclaiming its significance. Arthur Woodward, the keeper of the geological department at the British Museum, was shown the fragments and bones that Dawson had supposedly discovered and accompanied him for 4 months, never once finding anything himself, never once questioning the validity of this. After Dawson death in 1916 not another fossil was found in Piltdown, despite Dawson seemingly finding an abundance of them. It would take almost 50 years and leaps in technology, such as Fluoride-based tests, for the truth to be revealed.  Charles Dawson, who live...