The earliest primate ancestors of modern humans most likely had light skin, like our closest modern relative – the chimpanzee.[26] About 7 million years ago human and chimpanzee lineages diverged, and between 4.5 and 2 million years ago early humans moved out of rainforests to the savannas of East Africa.[2][27] They not only had to cope with more intense sunlight but had to develop a better cooling system.