atavism /at·a·vism/ (at´ah-vizm) apparent inheritance of a characteristic from remote rather than immediate ancestors.atavis´tic
atavism
atavism
at·a·vism ( t  -v z m)n. The appearance of characteristics that are presumed to have been present in some remote ancestor; reversion to an earlier biological type. at a·vist n.at a·vistic adj. |
atavism
[at′əviz′əm]
Etymology: L, atavus, ancestor
the appearance in an individual of traits or characteristics more like those of a grandparent or earlier ancestor than of the parents. Atavistic data may offer clues to an examining physician of genetic or familial health factors. atavistic, adj.
atavism
apparent inheritance of characters from remote ancestors, caused by recessive genes. Called also 'throwback'.
atavism
Any of a number of normally dormant traits–eg, the presence in humans of multiple nipples, appearance of vestigial hind limbs in whales, or possibly hereditary hypertrichosis in humans
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