noun
- Plural of neoteny; the retention of juvenile or larval characteristics in an adult organism.
Usage: biology; technical
Examples
- Some salamander species exhibit neotenies, remaining aquatic and retaining gills throughout their lives.
- The study examined neotenies in various amphibian populations across different climates.
- Evolutionary biologists investigate how neotenies contribute to species adaptation and survival.
- Certain fish demonstrate neotenies by maintaining larval features into adulthood.
- The researcher documented multiple instances of neotenies in the laboratory specimens.