neoteny

英 [niː'ɒtɪnɪ] 美 [niː'ɒtənɪ]

• n. [动] 性早熟；幼态持续

英英释义

Noun:

1. an evolutionary trend to be born earlier so that development is cut off at an earlier stage and juvenile characteristics are retained in adults of the species

经典引文

• The exception to the rule of human neoteny is the chin which grows relatively larger in human beings.

  出自：Scientific American