neoteny

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“
She described game developers in terms of neoteny, an idea from developmental biology that describes adults of a species who have juvenile traits.

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Definitions (5)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun Retention of juvenile characteristics in the adults of a species, as among certain amphibians.
  2. noun The attainment of sexual maturity by an organism still in its larval stage.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (2)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (25)

  • Because neoteny means the retention of immature qualities into adulthood. —  Stuart Brown says play is more than fun
  • In human evolution, developmental retardation, or neoteny, has been proposed as a possible mechanism that contributed to the rise of many human-specific features, including an increase in brain size and the emergence of human-specific cognitive traits. —  CiteULike: Everyone's library
  • This condition, called neoteny, means it keeps its tadpole-like dorsal fin, which runs almost the length of its body, and its feathery external gills, which protrude from the back of its wide head.
  • Extended neoteny and late stage allometric growth increase morphological disparity between growth stages in at least some dinosaurs. —  PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles
  • These lambeosaurine taxa experienced cranial allometric growth and retained juvenile characters (neoteny) until the skulls reached approximately 50% adult size. —  PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. New Latin neotenia : neo- + Greek teinein, ten-, to extend; see tenesmus.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Greek νέος, new, young, + τείνειν, keep.
 

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/nəˈɑtɛni/
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