neoteny
/niˈɑːtəni/
noun
- The retention of juvenile features in an adult animal or plant, often due to slowed or delayed development.
- The concept of neoteny helps biologists understand how certain species adapt to their environments.
- Human evolution shows neoteny in our large skulls and small jaws compared to other primates.
- Neoteny explains why some amphibians, like the axolotl, never undergo full metamorphosis.
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