Definitions

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the state resulting when juvenile characteristics are retained by the adults of a species

Etymologies

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Examples

  • However, it will extend neotony, something we have enough already.

    Dems Still Do Not Have the Votes | RedState 2010

  • Some psychological aspect of ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny, or, rather, a sexual manifestation of neotony?

    Meanwhile... acephalemagic 2008

  • They are very different: dogs go into heat twice a year, wolves once; dogs exhibit “neotony” — traits that make them more docile — wolves obviously do not.

    Zorse – The Zebra Horse Hybrid 2006

  • ACQUIRED through a neotony of prolonged maturation – there is no ontology without ontogeny – not necessarily a capriciously God given one for the circumcised but rather one acquired by nature-nurture interactions developing into intelligence.

    The Memory Hole 2005

  • For too long this and other demands we have made on men have served only to keep them in a state of neotony.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2009

  • For too long this and other demands we have made on men have served only to keep them in a state of neotony.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2009

  • Following up @TonyNZ’s comment: I am familiar with the neotony theory, but human babies are naked.

    Hard wired to the past | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. 2009

Comments

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  • There are a lot of evolutionary tales about neotony, including the "Juvenile Ape" hypothesis for human evolution.

    January 4, 2008