atavist
- noun
- /ˈætəˌvɪst/
- Specialized
:
atavista
- Charles Darwin is often considered an atavist because his theories highlighted traits that were reminiscent of earlier species.
Examples
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The discovery of the ancient fossil revealed an atavist form that shared characteristics with modern elephants.
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In literature, a character described as an atavist often struggles to fit into contemporary society.
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Some scientists called the rare, tailed infant an atavist due to its ancestral feature.
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The strange markings on the bird made it an atavist among its modern relatives.
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An atavist can sometimes provide insights into evolutionary biology.
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The scientist described the unusual specimen as an atavist of its species.
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Researchers found that the animals displayed atavist traits, resembling their prehistoric ancestors in both appearance and behavior.
Synonyms
34
7.1
A person or thing that has features from an earlier time
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word atavist comes from the Latin atavus, meaning 'ancestor', plus the ending -ist, meaning 'person who'. So an atavist is someone or something that shows traits of a distant ancestor, like an echo from the past.