neoteny
pronunciation
How to pronounce neoteny in British English:
UK [ni:'ɒtɪnɪ]
How to pronounce neoteny in American English:
US [ni'ɒtənɪ]
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- Noun:
- an evolutionary trend to be born earlier so that development is cut off at an earlier stage and juvenile characteristics are retained in adults of the species
Word Origin
- neoteny (n.)
- retention of juvenile characteristics in adult life, 1901, from German neotenie (1884), from Greek neos "young" (see new) + teinein "to extend" (see tenet).
Example
- 1. Neoteny retention of juvenile features in the adult ; achieving sexual maturity while the rest of the body is in the juvenile form ( the juvenile form of others of the same group ) .