Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The retention of juvenile characteristics in the adults of a species, as among certain amphibians.
- noun The attainment of sexual maturity and subsequent reproduction by an organism still in its larval stage.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In biology: The reversion of a phylum to a modified embryonic condition.
- noun The retention by an organism of larval or juvenile characters beyond the time characteristic of other members of the group to which it belongs. This may be partial, as in the case of some toads and frogs, whose young pass the winter in the tadpole condition, or total, as in some salamanders that retain their external gills when adult. Also
neotenia .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun biology The
retention ofjuvenile characteristics in theadult . - noun biology The
sexual maturity of anorganism still in itslarval stage .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- 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
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Humans, especially females, are likewise evolutionarily wired to respond in a nurturing way to faces that have a quality of neoteny, which is to say, the retention of infantile characteristics: large head, wide and prominent eyes, slightly helpless and winsome.
For the Cheerleader in Everyone Dan Neil 2011
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It seems highly plausible that, as Australopithecus evolved through various intermediates to Homo sapiens, shortening the muzzle all along the way, it did so by the obvious route of retaining juvenile characteristics into adulthood the process called neoteny, mentioned in Chapter 2.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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It seems highly plausible that, as Australopithecus evolved through various intermediates to Homo sapiens, shortening the muzzle all along the way, it did so by the obvious route of retaining juvenile characteristics into adulthood the process called neoteny, mentioned in Chapter 2.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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What they found was quite consistent with the notion of neoteny, not only for body shape but for dog language.
How to Speak Dog Stanley Coren 2000
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The most important of these involves neoteny, which is the technical term describing the fact that certain juvenile features and behaviors are retained in the adult.
How to Speak Dog Stanley Coren 2000
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This condition, called neoteny, means it keeps its tadpole-like dorsal fin, which runs almost the length of its body, and its feathery external gills, which protrude from the back of its wide head.
unknown title 2009
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"Dinosaurs, like birds and many mammals, retain neoteny, that is, they retain their juvenile characteristics for a long period of growth," Horner said, "which is a strong indicator that they were very social animals, grouping in flocks or herds with long periods of parental care."
PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2009
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"Dinosaurs, like birds and many mammals, retain neoteny, that is, they retain their juvenile characteristics for a long period of growth," Horner said, "which is a strong indicator that they were very social animals, grouping in flocks or herds with long periods of parental care."
PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2009
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This condition, called neoteny, means it keeps its tadpole-like dorsal fin, which runs almost the length of its body, and its feathery external gills, which protrude from the back of its wide head.
unknown title 2009
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This condition, called neoteny, means it keeps its tadpole-like dorsal fin, which runs almost the length of its body, and its feathery external gills, which protrude from the back of its wide head.
unknown title 2009
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Perhaps the most obvious change is called neoteny, or the process of becoming more childlike.
Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age Annalee Newitz 2023
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