Whether melanism plays a significant role in thermoregulation has been a persistent
question in studies of thermal biology of ectotherms. This review provides a synthesis of the …

1. The thermal melanism hypothesis (TMH) predicts that dark (low skin reflectance)
individuals are at an advantage in cool climates as they heat faster and reach higher …

Animal pigmentation has evolved because of several adaptive functions. In the case of
pigmentation produced by melanins, the most common pigments in animals, the main …

The hypothesis that low skin reflectance (melanism) provides an advantage for
thermoregulation under cold conditions has received mixed support in ectothermic …

Melanism seems to have evolved independently through diverse mechanisms in various
taxa and different ecological factors could be responsible for selective responses. Increased …

Ectothermic organisms, such as insects and reptiles, rely on external heat sources to control
body temperature and possess physiological and behavioral traits that are temperature …

Reptiles rely upon external heat sources to increase body temperature, and it has been
suggested that thermoregulatory capacity may vary among individuals of different colour …

The importance of colour for temperature regulation in animals remains controversial.
Colour can affect an animal's temperature because all else being equal, dark surfaces …

Ectothermic animals rely on external heat sources and behavioral thermoregulation to
control body temperature, and are characterized by possessing physiological and …

Many terrestrial ectotherms are capable of rapid colour change, yet it is unclear how these
animals accommodate the multiple functions of colour, particularly camouflage …