melanism

[mel-uh-niz-uhm]

noun

1. Ethnology.,  the condition in human beings of having a high amount of melanin granules in the skin, hair, and eyes.

2. Zoology.,  the condition in which an unusually high concentration of melanin occurs in the skin, plumage, or pelage of an animal.

melanism

/ ˈmɛləˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. the condition in man and animals of having dark-coloured or black skin, feathers, etc. Industrial melanism is the occurrence of dark varieties of animals, esp moths, in smoke-blackened industrial regions, in which they are well camouflaged

2. another name for melanosis

melanism

1. Dark coloration of the skin, hair, fur, or feathers because of a high concentration of melanin.

Other Word Forms

• melanistic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of melanism¹

First recorded in 1835–45; melan- + -ism

Example Sentences

A classic example often taught in high school biology classes is that of industrial melanism in the peppered moth, a British species tha looks, well, "peppered," with black dots on a mostly white background.

From Salon

The zoo said while Napo and Inka had very different coat colours, there was "no such species as a black panther" and Inka's dark colouring was a result of a genetic mutation known as melanism.

From BBC

Kallisto is a rare black Amur leopard because of melanism, a condition that produces an excess of black pigment.

From Washington Times

They found that melanism varied from place to place.

From New York Times

Thanks to massive inbreeding, New York is home to soot-black squirrels, which have a genetic condition called melanism.

From The Guardian