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atavism |
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atavism (ăt`əvizəm), the appearance in an individual of a characteristic not apparent in the preceding generation. At one time it was believed that such a phenomenon was thought to be a reversion of "throwback" to a hypothetical ancestral prototype. The term is seldom used today since science has shown that such abnormal characteristics can be explained by the inheritance of a pair of recessive genes gene, the structural unit of inheritance in living organisms. A gene is, in essence, a segment of DNA that has a particular purpose, i.e., that codes for (contains the chemical information necessary for the creation of) a specific enzyme or other protein. ..... Click the link for more information. . See Mendel Mendel, Gregor Johann (grā`gôr yō`hän mĕn`dəl) ..... Click the link for more information. . atavism the recurrence in a plant or animal of certain primitive characteristics that were present in an ancestor but have not occurred in intermediate generations atavism [′ad·ə‚viz·əm] (evolution) Appearance of a distant ancestral form of an organism or one of its parts due to reactivation of ancestral genes. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Blair looks like the probable winner but nothing is certain in politics, and the electorate may still atavistically vote Conservative yet again, whatever their present discontents. |
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