Thermal melanism explains macroevolutionary variation of dorsal pigmentation in Eurasian vipers
Sign Up to like & getrecommendations! Published in 2020 at "Scientific Reports"
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72871-1
Abstract: Colouration may endorse thermoregulatory and antipredatory functions in snakes. The thermal melanism hypothesis predicts that dark-coloured individuals are ecologically favoured in cool climates. However, the loss of aposematic and cryptic colourations may imply high predation… read more here.
Keywords: dorsal pigmentation; eurasian vipers; thermal melanism; pigmentation ... See more keywords
Colour scales with climate in North American ratsnakes: a test of the thermal melanism hypothesis using community science images
Sign Up to like & getrecommendations! Published in 2022 at "Biology Letters"
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0403
Abstract: Animal colour is a complex trait shaped by multiple selection pressures that can vary across geography. The thermal melanism hypothesis predicts that darker coloration is beneficial to animals in colder regions because it allows for… read more here.
Keywords: science images; community science; melanism; thermal melanism ... See more keywords