The concept of "race" as we understand it today is a social construct that developed relatively recently in human history. It categorizes people based on physical characteristics such as skin color, facial features, and hair type. However, these physical variations are the result of human migration and adaptation to different environments over tens of thousands of years.
The idea of a "first race" is not accurate because humans evolved over time in different regions, and their physical characteristics changed in response to various environmental factors, including climate, sunlight exposure, and other selective pressures. The original human ancestors, dating back millions of years, would not fit into any of the modern racial categories.
As for skin color, the earliest human ancestors likely had dark skin, which provided protection against the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Dark skin contains more melanin, a pigment that helps absorb and disperse UV radiation, reducing the risk of skin damage and skin cancer.
As humans migrated to different regions with varying levels of UV radiation, natural selection favored different skin tones. In regions with less sunlight, where UV radiation was less of a threat, lighter skin allowed for better absorption of vitamin D from sunlight, which was crucial in places with limited dietary sources of the vitamin. This is why, over time, human populations living in higher latitudes with less sunlight exposure tended to have lighter skin.
In contrast, populations living near the equator, where there is more intense sunlight, maintained darker skin to protect against UV radiation.
It's important to emphasize that skin color is just one of many genetic traits that have varied across human populations due to migration and adaptation, and it does not define any specific racial category. The concept of race has been misused throughout history and has contributed to various forms of discrimination and prejudice. It is crucial to recognize and celebrate the diversity of humanity while understanding that we are all part of the same species, Homo sapiens.