melanism
noun
the condition in human beings of having a high amount of melanin granules in the skin, hair, and eyes.
melanistic
-
a word derived from
melanism.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Paul says he and a friend were travelling by train near Glenfinnan when they spotted what he describes as a melanistic leopard, also known as a black panther.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2024
Of the 40 cat species worldwide, nearly half have melanistic or black color morphs.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 17, 2022
There’s even a tiny area in Sikkim, which is a small mountainous state in the Eastern Himalayan region, where melanistic Asiatic golden cats are far more common than any other morph.
From Scientific American ● May 28, 2013
There is also a spotted, ocelot-like morph that is more common in China than the usual colouring, and numerous melanistic, or black, individuals have been found, particularly in Nepal.
From Scientific American ● May 28, 2013
A mixture of the melanistic with the albinistic type will of course give rise to parti-coloured cats.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various
