Cacotype

/ˈkækətaɪp/ noun

Definition

An individual organism or specimen that exhibits poor or inferior characteristics compared to the normal or ideal type.

Etymology

From Greek 'kakos' (bad) + 'type' (from Greek 'typos' meaning impression/model). This biological term describes specimens that deviate negatively from the standard form.

Kelly Says

In biology and taxonomy, 'cacotype' helps scientists describe variants that aren't just different but actually show signs of degeneration or inferior traits—it's more specific than just saying something is an 'abnormal variant.'

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