Melanism is a development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism. Pseudo-melanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, characterized by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal making it appear melanistic.
A common melanistic effect appears for Siberia's tamed foxes or better know silver fox:
This effect as it was with albinism might show up only partially:
A lot of people think that black panters are a separat species but in reality they are jaguars and leopards suffering under melanism. However black panthers use it as a foraging advantage during night hunting.
Industrial melanism is adaptive melanism caused by anthropogenic alteration of the natural environment in terms of industrial pollution. As soot, smoke and other industrial pollutants from factories darken the landscape and because many organisms rely on camouflage to avoid predation, this sudden change in their environment makes them highly vulnerable to predators.
And that's why it might show up within any species:
There's also an effect called piebald. A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. This alternating colour pattern is irregular and asymmetrical.
xoxo
- Carol
No comments:
Post a Comment