Pedomorphosis

From Freepedia

In developmental biology, pedomorphosis or juvenification refers to a phylogenetic change in which the adults of a species retain traits previously seen only in juveniles. Peramorphosis is change in the reverse direction.

Pedomorphosis is common in many animal species domesticated by humans, including dogs, chickens, pigs and cattle. It is believed to be a side-effect of the selective pressure of human-directed breeding.

There are several kinds of pedomorphosis which may appear independently or in combination:

• Neoteny, in which somatic (or physical) development is slowed.
• Progenesis, in which development is halted before full maturity.
• Postdisplacement, in which the start of development is delayed.

References

• Trut, Lyudmila N. (1999). "Early Canid Domestication: The Farm-Fox Experiment" American Scientist. 87(2), 160-169. (A Russian study of pedomorphosis in a 40-year breeding program to domesticate red foxes.)