The development of new characteristics or structures in an organism during its lifetime that were not present in its evolutionary ancestors.
From Greek keno- (new, recent) plus genesis (origin, creation). Evolutionary biologists created this term to describe adaptations that appear new rather than inherited from ancestors.
Cenogenesis explains why some animals develop crazy features that seem brand new—like how some fish evolved electric organs—even though every creature inherited most of its body plan from ancient ancestors.
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