literally the stupidest option for protection from the sun, in desert environments in Africa the more intense the sun the lighter the animals are because it a) reflects heat and b) helps you blend into your environment. Sure melanin absorbs uv pretty good but in doing so it makes you more visible and increases the amount of heat your body has to deal with, all the body had to do was replace melanin production with biologically synthesised zinc oxide to take its place in the melanosomes which shields uv better than melanin anyways and reflects light better reducing heat stress and making you blend in better in a light environment. white skin is objectively better than black skin.