Skin Is the Smoking Gun: Why the Savanna Hypothesis Is Dead

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Authors: Garrick Ramsey Holmes
Cited by: 0

Abstract

The traditional claim that humans evolved primarily in dry African savannas is no longer scientifically defensible. It survives mostly through repetition, not evidence. When human evolution is examined through skin biology, physiology, nutrition, and archaeology, the savanna hypothesis collapses. Human skin is not built for open grasslands. It is built for water margins, coasts, and repeated exposure to salt, sun, and wet environments.

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
5 January 2026
Document type
Dataset