MATERIA-MELANICA - FURTHER DARK THOUGHTS

The view is advanced that melanogenesis arose evolutionarily as a detoxification pathway for intrinsically-generated orthoquinones. The primary impetus for the production of orthoquinones may have been their general antibiotic properties and the utility of these chemical species in forming covalent crosslinks between proteins, as illustrated by cuticular sclerotization in insects. It is argued that polymerization to give rise to visible pigments may have originated as a pathway for the inactivation of orthoquinones. The possible evolutionary advantages accruing from the generation of melanin are discussed with special reference to acuity of photoreceptors and the physico-chemical properties of melanin, as well as the contribution of melanin to protective colouration or display.