precocial

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The fetal skeleton has permanent first molars well mineralized, which indicates precocial development at birth.

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Definitions (2)

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  1. adjective Covered with down and capable of moving about when hatched. Used of wading birds and domestic fowl.

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Examples (13)

  • The fetal skeleton has permanent first molars well mineralized, which indicates precocial development at birth. —  ScienceBlogs Channel : Life Science
  • This would have permitted birth of larger, more precocial infants, and we would predict that a near-term basilosaurid fetal skeleton, if found intact, would be positioned to be born tail-first as is seen in living whales. —  PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles
  • Altricial I lies at one extreme ( 'birth with eyes closed, naked, and nidicolousor nest-dwelling'), and precocial IV at the other ( 'birth with eyes open, haired, and nidifugous or nest-fleeing') [21]. —  PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles
  • Marine mammals living today are all precocial, and energy is channeled to early growth —  PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles
  • The presence of partially mineralized permanent first molars in the fetal skull indicates precocial development, which may have been a key life history trait in early whales facilitating the transition from land to sea. —  PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles
 

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Etymologies (1)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. From New Latin praecocēs, precocial birds, from pl. of Latin praecox, premature; see precocious.
 

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/prikˈkoʊʃɪəl/
by American Heritage

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