Final answer:
Skin color is an example of polygenic inheritance, which involves multiple genes contributing to a trait, creating a spectrum of possible phenotypes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Skin color, which is controlled by three separately inherited genes, each with two allelic forms, is an example of polygenic inheritance. This type of inheritance involves multiple genes contributing to a single trait. Unlike Mendelian inheritance, which involves a single gene with two alleles, polygenic traits, such as skin color, are influenced by several genes, leading to a wide spectrum of phenotypes.
This differs from epistasis, where the interaction of genes can result in certain alleles masking the effects of other alleles. As seen in organisms like mice and Labrador retrievers, epistasis may involve one gene being dominant over the trait expression of another gene. In summary, skin color demonstrates a complex inheritance pattern that is typical of polygenic traits.