Atavism: meaning, definitions and examples
๐ฆ
atavism
[ หรฆtษหvษชzษm ]
biological term
Atavism refers to the return of a trait or characteristic that was once common in ancestral forms but has since disappeared in more recent generations. It is often seen in genetics where traits or behaviors can reappear after several generations, due to recessive genes that have not been expressed in the intervening lineage.
Synonyms
ancestral trait, reversion, throwback
Examples of usage
- The atavism of certain physical traits can sometimes be seen in modern humans.
- Researchers studied atavism in animals to understand evolutionary processes.
- The appearance of extra toes in horses is an example of genetic atavism.
Translations
Translations of the word "atavism" in other languages:
๐ต๐น atavismo
๐ฎ๐ณ เค เคตเคคเคฐเคฃเคตเคพเคฆ
๐ฉ๐ช Atavismus
๐ฎ๐ฉ atavisme
๐บ๐ฆ ะฐัะฐะฒัะทะผ
๐ต๐ฑ atawizm
๐ฏ๐ต ้่กๆง
๐ซ๐ท atavisme
๐ช๐ธ atavismo
๐น๐ท atavizm
๐ฐ๐ท ํดํ
๐ธ๐ฆ ุงูุชุทูุฑ ุงูุนูุณู
๐จ๐ฟ atavismus
๐ธ๐ฐ atavizmus
๐จ๐ณ ่ฟ็ฅ็ฐ่ฑก
๐ธ๐ฎ atavizem
๐ฎ๐ธ atavismi
๐ฐ๐ฟ ะฐัะฐะฒะธะทะผ
๐ฌ๐ช แแขแแแแแแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ atavizm
๐ฒ๐ฝ atavismo
Word origin
The term 'atavism' originates from the Latin word 'atavus', meaning 'ancestors' or 'forefathers'. Its usage started to emerge in the 19th century, particularly in the fields of genetics and anthropology, to describe the phenomenon where traits or features reappear in an organism after being absent for several generations. The concept became widely discussed among scientists studying evolution and heredity, particularly during the studies of Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel. Atavism illustrates how certain genetic characteristics may linger in the gene pool, only to arise under specific conditions, reflecting the complexity of genetic inheritance and ancestry.