Definitions
WordNet 3.0
- n. the state resulting when juvenile characteristics are retained by the adults of a species
Examples
“However, it will extend neotony, something we have enough already.”
“Some psychological aspect of ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny, or, rather, a sexual manifestation of neotony?”
“They are very different: dogs go into heat twice a year, wolves once; dogs exhibit “neotony” — traits that make them more docile — wolves obviously do not.”
“ACQUIRED through a neotony of prolonged maturation – there is no ontology without ontogeny – not necessarily a capriciously God given one for the circumcised but rather one acquired by nature-nurture interactions developing into intelligence.”
“For too long this and other demands we have made on men have served only to keep them in a state of neotony.”
“Following up @TonyNZ’s comment: I am familiar with the neotony theory, but human babies are naked.”
seanahan There are a lot of evolutionary tales about neotony, including the "Juvenile Ape" hypothesis for human evolution. Jan 4, 2008