paedomorphosis
/ˌpiːdəˈmɔːrfəsɪs/
noun
- An evolutionary change in which an adult organism retains features that were present in its juvenile ancestors.
- Paedomorphosis explains why some salamanders look like oversized tadpoles.
- Paedomorphosis can give a species a survival advantage by keeping flexible, youthful characteristics.
- The evolution of humans involved paedomorphosis, as adult humans share traits with young apes.
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