Final answer:
A benign mole is a dark, often black growth of melanocytes that is typically not cancerous, unlike melanoma which is a serious and potentially fatal skin cancer characterized by large brown or black patches with uneven borders and a raised surface.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of skin cancer that is dark or even black but usually a benign overgrowth of melanocytes is known as a benign mole. While melanomas can also appear as large brown or black patches, they have uneven borders and a raised surface and are the most serious type of skin cancer that affects melanocytes. Unlike benign moles, melanomas are malignant and can metastasize, which means they can spread to other parts of the body if not treated. Melanoma is rarer yet significantly more lethal than the more common basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and it accounts for the majority of cancer deaths related to skin cancer.