paedomorphism
paedomorphism — noun
1. A biological condition in which an adult animal keeps infant or young features t
A biological condition in which an adult animal keeps infant or young features that most other species lose as they grow up — for example, keeping gills, a tail fin, or a round face shape that is usually found only in the young.
Paedomorphism is common in salamanders, which keep their larval gills as adults.
paedomorphism + is common in [species]
Some dog breeds show paedomorphism by retaining puppy-like faces into old age.
paedomorphism by retaining [features]
The axolotl is a well-studied example of paedomorphism among amphibians.
Paedomorphism keeps the adult human skull rounded and flat-faced, resembling a baby chimpanzee’s.
Unlike full metamorphosis, paedomorphism means that young features never disappear.
- neoteny
Nearly synonymous; neoteny more precisely refers to slowed body development that causes paedomorphism. Paedomorphism is the resulting appearance.
- pedomorphosis
A broader evolutionary term covering any shift toward a more juvenile form, not only retention.
- metamorphosis
The opposite process: a clear change from juvenile to adult form, with loss of young features.
- peramorphosis
Evolutionary change toward a more developed or adult-like form beyond the ancestral adult stage.
文法句型
paedomorphism + is/occurs/appears
用法筆記
Commonest in discussions of amphibian evolution, especially salamanders and axolotls. The term is rarely used outside zoology or evolutionary developmental biology ('evo-devo').