Melanism is an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism. More technically, it refers to a phenotype in which the pigmentation of an organism is entirely, or nearly entirely, expressed. In biology, pigment is any material resulting in color in plant or animal cells which is the result of selective absorption. ... Model of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... Closeup on a single white feather A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird. ... A female with brown hair. ... The phenotype of an individual organism is either its total physical appearance and constitution, or a specific manifestation of a trait, such as size or eye color, that varies between individuals. ...

Examples include leopards, tigers, coral snakes, squirrels, etc.

Leopards, pumas and jaguars with this condition are often called panthers or black panthers. However, leopards, jaguars, lions and tigers are all members of the Panthera genus. Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Binomial name Felis concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Felis concolor) is a type of big cat found in North, Central and South America. ... Binomial name Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large member of the cat family native to South and Central America. ... Black panther The black panther is a genetic variant of several species of cats. ... Species Panthera leo Panthera tigris Panthera pardus Panthera onca Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae (the cats), which contains four well-known species: the tiger, lion, leopard, and jaguar. ...

See also:

• albinism