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Neoteny

//niˈɑːtəni// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult. countable, uncountable

    "Most amphibians are aquatic only while young, but some amphibians with neoteny remain aquatic even as adults."

  2. 2
    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 wordnet
  3. 3
    The sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage. countable, uncountable

Etymology

From German Neotenie, coined in 1884 by anatomist Julius Kollmann from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “young”) + τείνειν (teínein, “to tense”).

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