Neoteny
Pronunciation: /niːˈɑːtəniː/
Neoteny (noun)
- A process where an organism keeps juvenile features because it develops more slowly or reaches adulthood later than usual.
- An evolutionary change in which traits of young stages become more common in a species, due to altered development timing.
Examples
- Neoteny can cause slower maturity in some animals.
- The study explains how neoteny delays maturity.