Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel
A popular belief for why polar bears have black skin is to increase solar heat gain from solar radiation that penetrates through a translucent fur layer made of unpigmented hollow hair. To examine the relative importance of skin color on solar heat gain, we measured thermal gradients, heat flux, and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-11-01
|
| Series: | Textiles |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/4/4/29 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846102586450509824 |
|---|---|
| author | Arny Leroy David M. Anderson Patrick Marshall David Stark Haskell W. Beckham |
| author_facet | Arny Leroy David M. Anderson Patrick Marshall David Stark Haskell W. Beckham |
| author_sort | Arny Leroy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A popular belief for why polar bears have black skin is to increase solar heat gain from solar radiation that penetrates through a translucent fur layer made of unpigmented hollow hair. To examine the relative importance of skin color on solar heat gain, we measured thermal gradients, heat flux, and solar transmittance through a polar bear pelt under solar irradiation while thermally anchored to a temperature-controlled plate set to 33 °C. We found that for 60–70% of the dorsal region of the pelt where the fur layer is thickest, solar energy cannot reach the skin through the fur (solar transmittance ≤ 3.5 ± 0.2%) and therefore skin color does not meaningfully contribute to solar heat gain. In contrast, skin pigmentation was important in the remaining areas of the pelt that were covered with thinner fur. This information was used to select commercially available materials according to their solar optical properties to build biomimetic outdoor apparel with enhanced solar heat gain by a factor of 3 compared to standard outerwear constructions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5bf30e92d3e45a28e331b4286744b79 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-7248 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Textiles |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5bf30e92d3e45a28e331b4286744b792024-12-27T14:56:15ZengMDPI AGTextiles2673-72482024-11-014450752010.3390/textiles4040029Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor ApparelArny Leroy0David M. Anderson1Patrick Marshall2David Stark3Haskell W. Beckham4Exponent, Inc., Atlanta, GA 30326, USAExponent, Inc., Atlanta, GA 30326, USAColumbia Sportswear Company, Portland, OR 97229, USAColumbia Sportswear Company, Portland, OR 97229, USAColumbia Sportswear Company, Portland, OR 97229, USAA popular belief for why polar bears have black skin is to increase solar heat gain from solar radiation that penetrates through a translucent fur layer made of unpigmented hollow hair. To examine the relative importance of skin color on solar heat gain, we measured thermal gradients, heat flux, and solar transmittance through a polar bear pelt under solar irradiation while thermally anchored to a temperature-controlled plate set to 33 °C. We found that for 60–70% of the dorsal region of the pelt where the fur layer is thickest, solar energy cannot reach the skin through the fur (solar transmittance ≤ 3.5 ± 0.2%) and therefore skin color does not meaningfully contribute to solar heat gain. In contrast, skin pigmentation was important in the remaining areas of the pelt that were covered with thinner fur. This information was used to select commercially available materials according to their solar optical properties to build biomimetic outdoor apparel with enhanced solar heat gain by a factor of 3 compared to standard outerwear constructions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/4/4/29polar bearinsulationsolar absorptancefuroutdoor apparelsolar heat gain |
| spellingShingle | Arny Leroy David M. Anderson Patrick Marshall David Stark Haskell W. Beckham Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel Textiles polar bear insulation solar absorptance fur outdoor apparel solar heat gain |
| title | Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel |
| title_full | Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel |
| title_short | Exploring the Role of Skin Pigmentation in the Thermal Regulation of Polar Bears and Its Implications in the Development of Biomimetic Outdoor Apparel |
| title_sort | exploring the role of skin pigmentation in the thermal regulation of polar bears and its implications in the development of biomimetic outdoor apparel |
| topic | polar bear insulation solar absorptance fur outdoor apparel solar heat gain |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/4/4/29 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT arnyleroy exploringtheroleofskinpigmentationinthethermalregulationofpolarbearsanditsimplicationsinthedevelopmentofbiomimeticoutdoorapparel AT davidmanderson exploringtheroleofskinpigmentationinthethermalregulationofpolarbearsanditsimplicationsinthedevelopmentofbiomimeticoutdoorapparel AT patrickmarshall exploringtheroleofskinpigmentationinthethermalregulationofpolarbearsanditsimplicationsinthedevelopmentofbiomimeticoutdoorapparel AT davidstark exploringtheroleofskinpigmentationinthethermalregulationofpolarbearsanditsimplicationsinthedevelopmentofbiomimeticoutdoorapparel AT haskellwbeckham exploringtheroleofskinpigmentationinthethermalregulationofpolarbearsanditsimplicationsinthedevelopmentofbiomimeticoutdoorapparel |