In a manner showing the reappearance of characteristics from distant ancestors that have been absent for many generations.
From atavistic, derived from Latin atavus (ancestor), combined with the adverbial suffix -ally. The root atavus comes from Proto-Indo-European, referring to ancestors beyond the immediate family.
Humans occasionally display atavistic traits like extra ribs or tails—vestiges of our evolutionary past that show up due to genetic quirks. It's like your body is running old software from millions of years ago, which is why some people are born with surprising animal-like features.
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