Neoteny is the retention, by adults in a species, of traits previously seen only in juveniles (pedomorphosis/paedomorphosis), and is a subject studied in the field of developmental biology.

In neoteny, the physiological (or somatic) development of an animal or organism is slowed or delayed.

Ultimately this process results in the retention, in the adults of a species, of juvenile physical characteristics well into maturity.

In vertebrate biology, neoteny is most easily identified when sexually mature, completely viable juveniles or larva are found..

For more information about the topic Neoteny, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Larva — A larva is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). The larva can look ...  > read more

Developmental biology — Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop. Modern developmental biology studies the genetic control of ...  > read more

Somatic cell — A somatic cell is generally taken to mean any cell forming the body of an organism. Somatic cells, by definition, are not germline cells. In mammals, ...  > read more

Speciation — Speciation refers to the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. There are three main ideas concerning the emergence of new ...  > read more

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