Why humans haven’t evolved to cope with cold northern climates

Intricate cultural solutions to the challenges of life have seen humans thrive in every part of the globe

Iceberg and boat of humans
Humans tropical legacy means we would still be unable to live in cold places without developing ways of coping
(Image credit: Aurora Expeditions)

Laura Buck, lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology and Kyoko Yamaguchi, senior lecturer in Human Genetics, both at Liverpool John Moores University explain how humans have adapted to living in cold climates despite lacking a genetic disposition for them.

Humans are a tropical species. We have lived in warm climates for most of our evolutionary history, which might explain why so many of us spend winter huddled under a blanket, clutching a hot water bottle and dreaming of summer.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up