neoteny

[ nee-ot-n-ee ]

noun

, Biology.

1. Also called pedogenesis. the production of offspring by an organism in its larval or juvenile form; the elimination of the adult phase of the life cycle.
2. a slowing of the rate of development with the consequent retention in adulthood of a feature or features that appeared in an earlier phase in the life cycle of ancestral individuals:

   Neoteny in the ostrich has resulted in adult birds sporting the down feathers of nestlings.

neoteny

/ ˌniːəʊˈtɛnɪk; nɪˈɒtənɪ /

noun

1. the persistence of larval or fetal features in the adult form of an animal. For example, the adult axolotl, a salamander, retains larval external gills See also paedogenesis

neoteny

/ nē-ŏt′n-ē /

1. The retention of juvenile characteristics in the adults of a species. Humans, for example, are sometimes said to demonstrate neoteny by retaining through adulthood the relatively large head and hairlessness characteristic of very young primates. The body proportions of flightless birds, which resemble those of fetal flying birds, are also considered to be evidence of neoteny.
2. The attainment of sexual maturity by an organism still in its larval stage, seen in certain amphibians and insects. Certain species of salamanders, for instance, demonstrate neoteny as they become sexually mature but remain aquatic and do not develop legs. Neoteny sometimes occurs in response to environmental stresses such as low temperature or lack of iodine (which is essential for the thyroid gland). If environmental conditions improve, the organism can often develop into a fully mature adult form.

Derived Forms

• neotenic, adjective

Other Words From

• ne·ot·e·nous [nee-, ot, -n-, uh, s], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of neoteny¹

1900–05; < New Latin neotēnia < Greek neo- neo- + teín ( ein ) to stretch + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of neoteny¹

C19: from New Latin neotenia, from Greek neo- + teinein to stretch

Example Sentences

The Mexican axolotl — a dusky amphibian with the remarkable habit of neoteny, or retaining its juvenile body type all its life — once thrived in these canals.

From New York Times

It’s not unusual for domesticated animals to retain juvenile traits into adulthood—a phenomenon called neoteny that also explains, for example, why dogs look and act more like wolf cubs than adult wolves.

From Scientific American

Extraordinary neoteny of synaptic spines in the human prefrontal cortex.

From Nature

Female trilobite beetles keep their larval form throughout life, an unusual type of neoteny—or, retention of juvenile form—that may allow them to invest more energy into making big healthy babies.

From National Geographic

Its frilly pink gills are a telltale sign of neoteny: most amphibians lose their gills as they develop, but the olm retains its larval form, never fully developing into an adult.

From The New Yorker