Atavism: meaning, definitions and examples

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atavism

 

[ หˆรฆtษ™หŒvษชzษ™m ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

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:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น atavismo

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค…เคตเคคเคฐเคฃเคตเคพเคฆ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Atavismus

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ atavisme

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฐั‚ะฐะฒั–ะทะผ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ atawizm

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ้€†่กŒๆ€ง

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท atavisme

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ atavismo

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท atavizm

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ํ‡ดํ™”

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุงู„ุชุทูˆุฑ ุงู„ุนูƒุณูŠ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ atavismus

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ atavizmus

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ่ฟ”็ฅ–็Žฐ่ฑก

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ atavizem

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ atavismi

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฐั‚ะฐะฒะธะทะผ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒแƒขแƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒ–แƒ›แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ atavizm

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ 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.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #34,927 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.