Table 1. Summary of major patterns of melanic variation in birds and their link with MC1R.

Mutation	Phenotype	Species studied	References
Glu92→Lys92	Extensive black (black plumage). Less marked in quail. Dominant.	Chicken (Gallus gallus) Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) Tahiti Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus caffer)	[7], [10], [31], [39]
Ala16→ Thr16, Ile38→Asn38, Ile111→Val111, Gln157→Arg157, Val166→Ile166	Ala16→ Thr16, Ile38→Asn38, Ile111→Val111, Gln157→Arg157, found associated with the mainland (blue) phenotype. Val166→Ile166 found associated with melanic phenotypeand is dominant.	White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)	[6]
Val85→Met85	Different amounts of grey or brown (heterozygous) to completely dark (homozygous).	Lesser snow goose (Chen c. caerulescens), Red-footed boobies (Sula sula)	[5], [40]
Glu100→Lys100	Associated with neck melanism.Found withGlu92→Lys92.	Black-necked Swan (Cygnus melanocoryphus)	[8]
Deletion 114-117	Dark plumage. Dominant.	Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae)	[9]
Asp119→Asn119	Black plumage. Dominant.	Chestnut-bellied Monarch from Ugi island (Monarcha castaneiventris)	[11]
His215→Pro215	Alteration of light stripes on back and dorsal head. Associated with Glu92→Lys92. Recessive.	Chicken (Gallus gallus)	[31]
Arg230→His230	Grey (heterozygous) to black (homozygous) plumages.No melanism in Coscoroba coscoroba.	Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba)	[5], [8]
Deletion 256	Causes melanism. Wild allele is dominant.	Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris)	[41]
No mutation linked to phenotype	Black plumage.	Chestnut-bellied Monarch from Three Sisters Islands (Monarcha castaneiventris)	[11]
No mutation linked to phenotype	Geographically structured gradation from green to black plumage.	Blue-crowned manakin (Lepidothrix coronata)	[15]
No mutation linked to phenotype	Variation in melanization in wing bars, crown stripe and rump patches.	Old World leaf warblers (genus Phylloscopus)	[14]
No mutation linked to phenotype	Variation in the extent of phaeomelanin depositionacross the body.	Réunion Grey White-Eye (Zosterops borbonicus)	This study