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vestigia

vestigia

9.9
Small leftover body parts from ancestors that do little or no work
  • noun
  • /vɛˈstɪdʒiə/
  • Archaic
translation icon : vestigios
  • Scientists pointed to tiny vestigia in the fish's skeleton as evidence of terrestrial ancestry.

Examples

  • Researchers study vestigia to understand how certain species have evolved over millions of years.

  • The presence of vestigia in modern whales suggests their ancestors once walked on land.

  • The presence of vestigia in modern whales suggests their ancestors once walked on land.

  • The vestigia of ancient species can be found in modern animals.

  • What are the vestigia of this organism?

  • Scientists pointed to tiny vestigia in the fish's skeleton as evidence of terrestrial ancestry.

  • Researchers study vestigia to understand how certain species have evolved over millions of years.

Synonyms

vestige
vsvestigia
23 8.4

A small part that remains from something that once existed

refers specifically to tiny anatomical remnants from ancestral evolution

How Developed

organ
473 2.6
vestigia
  • Archaic
9.9
rudiment
  • Specialized
8.5

Surface Forms

vestigia singular
vestigiae plural

Etymology

Vestigia comes from the Latin vestigium, 'footstep' or 'trace', and is the same root as the English words vestigial and vestige. In biology it means a small body part that is a 'trace' left from an ancestor, like a tiny 'footprint' in the body.