Meaning & use
ontogenetic
Relating to the development of an individual organism from its earliest stage to maturity.
See it in a sentence
The biologist studied ontogenetic changes in the frog as it developed from tadpole to adult.
Researchers compared ontogenetic patterns across several closely related bird species.
A note on using this word
Ontogenetic contrasts with phylogenetic, which concerns the evolutionary history of an entire species rather than one individual's development.
Words with a similar meaning
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