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Melanism Vs Albinism

Melanism is a common polymorphism in many feline species where dark pigmentation, caused by high amounts of melanin, reaches significant frequencies in some populations but is never fully fixed. It is linked genetically and passed down from parents but does not threaten life. In contrast, albinism is a lack of pigmentation in hair, skin, and eyes due to recessive genes, increasing risks of sun damage and requiring skin and eye protection. Overall, melanism involves excess pigmentation while albinism is a lack of pigmentation.

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339 views2 pages

Melanism Vs Albinism

Melanism is a common polymorphism in many feline species where dark pigmentation, caused by high amounts of melanin, reaches significant frequencies in some populations but is never fully fixed. It is linked genetically and passed down from parents but does not threaten life. In contrast, albinism is a lack of pigmentation in hair, skin, and eyes due to recessive genes, increasing risks of sun damage and requiring skin and eye protection. Overall, melanism involves excess pigmentation while albinism is a lack of pigmentation.

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More on Melanism

Melanistic coloration occurs as a


common polymorphism in 11 of
37 felid (any animal of the
family Felidae species) and
reaches high population
frequency in some cases but
never achieves complete
Melanistic squirrel
fixation.
Dark coloration caused by a
Melanism concentration of the pigment
Definition: Melanism is a “melanin”.
development of the dark-colored Symptoms: Melanism may
pigment melanin in the skin or cause brownish black
its appendages and is the to dark purple spots, streaks, or
opposite of albinism. The word blotches.
melanism is derived from the
Greek: μελανός ("black Melanism is not sex linked, as it
pigment"). AKA: A variation of is linked through the alleles and MELANISM
genes given to descendants by
pigmentation.
the parents. VS.
Spontaneous alleles of a few key Melanism is simply a pigment ALBINISM
pigmentation loci are known of the skin, therefore not life
to cause Melanism in domestic threatening.
or laboratory populations of
mammals.
Kalli Gardiner

Allegra Jones.
More on Albinism
The form of albinism involving
the skin, hair, and eyes, called
OCA, is autosomal recessive,
which means that if both of the
parents are carriers of the
recessive trait the offspring will
show the trait.
Albino Squirrel OA, ocular albinism, usually
affects men more, because it is
Albinism Symptoms linked to the X chromosome, so
men only need to inherit one
Albinism is defined as a person carrier X chromosome. Women
or animal that has an absence of exhibit it too, but need two
pigments in their hair or skin, affected X chromosomes.
which turns them a pale white Having albinism can cause a
color, and most often turns the higher likely hood of skin
eyes a pink color. cancer, and damage to the retina
The word Albino has the Latin
There’s no cure for albinism, but An Overall between
affected people can still take
root albus, which means white. steps to improve their health by the two
protecting their eyes and skin Melanism is an extra amount of
The causes of albinism happen pigmentation, while albinism is
from over exposure to the sun.
in one of the several genes that the lack of it.
controls melanin production.
Depending on the type of
albinism the why it is inherited
differs.

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