the condition in humans 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
Derived forms
melanistic (ˌmelaˈnistic)
adjective
Examples of 'industrial melanism' in a sentence
industrial melanism
The genetic origin of this 'industrial melanism' has now been traced by scientists.