Outdoor fun is the upside of summer, but it also brings on the downside: sunburns.

It’s a uniquely human phenomenon to gingerly touch a torched complexion after a day spent outside. But while our delicate skin sizzles in the sun, most animals have no problem lounging around without getting burnt. How do they do it?

Scientists from Oregon State University may have an answer. A team led by Professor Taifo Mahmud of the OSU College of Pharmacy reports that some animals naturally produce gadusol, a compound that protects against UV radiation. Their findings, published in May in the journal eLife, note that many fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds are protected by gadusol and other biologic activities, perhaps as a result of millions of years of natural genetic engineering. Many different species retained the ability to produce the compound, Mahmud said, because of its extraordinary evolutionary value—it's also an antioxidant and helps with other bodily functions.

Humans do not have the genetic ability to make gadusol. And while this may topple us off our evolutionary high horse, the compound still might benefit us. The OSU team was able to naturally produce gadusol using yeast, which means that future sunscreens might contain the ingredient. Mahmud has even discussed the possibility of developing an ingestible sunscreen pill.

You’ve heard it before: preventing exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun reduces your chances of health dangers like skin cancer. Nevertheless, most people fail to adequately shield their skin from damaging UV rays. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of all adults report at least one annual sunburn (a figure that we at Sierra can corroborate). This figure rises to 50 percent for adults under 30.

Though some sunscreens contain toxic chemicals that are bad for the environment, others are less harsh, so here's a mid-summer reminder: while research on better sunscreen continues, proper sun protection is imperative. For you, that is… don’t worry about the fish.

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