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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Melanism
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1992-09-03
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524b
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14 lines
Black coloration of animal bodies caused by
large amounts of the pigment melanin. Melanin
is of significance in insects, because
melanic ones warm more rapidly in sunshine
than do pale ones, and can be more active in
cool weather. A fall in temperature may
stimulate such insects to produce more
melanin. In industrial areas, dark insects
and pigeons match sooty backgrounds and
escape predation, but they are at a
disadvantage in rural areas where they do not
match their backgrounds. This is known as
industrial melanism.