atavism

atavism

 [at´ah-vizm]

apparent inheritance of characters from remote ancestors. adj., adj atavis´tic.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

at·a·vism

(at'ă-vizm),

The appearance in an individual of characteristics presumed to have been present in some remote ancestor; reversion to an earlier biologic type, a throwback.

[L. atavus, a remote ancestor]

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

atavism

(ăt′ə-vĭz′əm)

n.

1. The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence.

2. An individual or a part that exhibits atavism. Also called throwback.

3. The return of a trait or recurrence of previous behavior after a period of absence.

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at′a·vist n.

at′a·vis′tic adj.

at′a·vis′ti·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Any of a number of normally dormant traits—e.g., the presence in humans of multiple nipples, appearance of vestigial hind limbs in whales, or possibly hereditary hypertrichosis in humans

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

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

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

at·a·vism

(at'ă-vizm)

The appearance in an individual of characteristics presumed to have been present in some remote ancestor; reversion to an earlier biologic type; a throwback.

[L. atavus, a remote ancestor]

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

atavism

The reappearance of a genetic characteristic after generations of absence. This may be caused by the coincidence of two recessive genes, by recombination, or by mutation. The organism or individual so produced is often called a ‘throwback’.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

atavism

the recurrence of a characteristic possessed by an ancestor after an absence for several generations.

Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005