dimorphism
- noun
- /daɪˈmɔrfɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
dimorfismo
- Some reptiles exhibit dimorphism with variations in color and size, depending on their habitat.
Examples
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And the most striking examples of this dimorphism are in pinnipeds.
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Populations are known to differ with regard to body size, robusticity, and degree of sexual dimorphism.
Academic text (2017) -
We found, however, that male and female house finches were changing seemingly independently, resulting in differing degrees of dimorphism from population to population.
Academic text (2002) -
Of course, even species with a stronger dimorphism—peafowl, for a well-known and obvious example—have their outliers.
Blog text (23) -
In many butterfly species, dimorphism can be observed, where males and females display different wing patterns.
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The African elephant is a striking example of dimorphism; the males typically have larger tusks than females.
Synonyms
Two or more different forms in one species, often with different colors
Antonyms
How Variable
Surface Forms
Morphology
dimorphism = dimorphic (semi-transparent) = di + morph + ism
The meaning is largely compositional as 'state or condition of having two forms', but the classical combining forms make it somewhat less transparent for many learners.
Etymology
Dimorphism comes from the Greek parts di- 'two' and morph 'form' or 'shape'. In biology it describes a species that has 'two different forms' among its members for reasons other than sex, so you might see two wing patterns or two beak shapes in the same group.