[jessriedel]

Pale skin is thought to have evolved as a rapid (last ~5k years) and crude adaptation to avoid vitamin D deficiency shortly after farming was developed and allowed non-animal-based diets at the very high latitudes of northern Europe.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/04/how-europeans-evolved...

It is reasonable to think that there the significant drawbacks associated with that hacked-together solution are no longer necessary because modern diets easily give adequate vitamin D.

[Tycho]

So you're saying pale skin is a "hacked together" solution but modern vitamin supplements are not?

[jessriedel]

No, that's not what I'm saying.