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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Published on: September 7, 2013

Melanin-based colour polymorphism responding to climate change.

Alexandre Roulin¹

¹Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.

Global Change Biology

|April 5, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Melanin-based animal color can influence species

Keywords:

climate change colour polymorphism melanin melanocortin phenoloxidase pleiotropy

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Animal Behavior

Background:

Climate warming is a significant driver of biodiversity loss.
Organisms adapt to environmental change via genetic adaptation or phenotypic plasticity.
Melanin-based coloration influences camouflage, thermoregulation, UV protection, and disease resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

To review evidence on how melanin-based color affects animal sensitivity to climate change.
To explore the adaptive functions of melanism in response to warming.
To predict how animal color morphs may change with climate shifts.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on animal coloration and climate change.
Analysis of the functional roles of melanin in different environments.
Synthesis of evidence linking melanism to physiological and behavioral traits.

Main Results:

Darker melanin coloration may offer advantages against increased UV radiation and heat.
Pale coloration might be favored in expanding arid regions.
Melanin-linked genes can confer resistance to climate-related stressors.
Darker morphs may exhibit increased aggression, aiding competitive interactions.

Conclusions:

Melanin-based coloration is a key factor in animal adaptation to climate warming.
Animal color patterns are likely to evolve or change plastically in response to climate change.
Understanding color-climate interactions is crucial for predicting biodiversity responses.