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Definition of "melanism" []

  • See melanosis. (noun)
  • Dark coloration of the skin, hair, fur, or feathers because of a high concentration of melanin. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "melanism" in a sentence
  • "The idea that Majerus overturned Kettlewell's experiments and his explanation for melanism is a horrifying distortion of Majerus's actual views and writings, propagated by a combination of overhyped news reports and creationist propaganda."
  • "In cases of this type, melanism is a product of an interaction between genetic factors and the environment."
  • "Similar to Ecoregion 22k, some species of rodents and reptiles found here have developed abnormally dark coloration, called melanism, for camouflage against the dark lava."