A biological process where an organism develops characteristics that resemble those of an old or aged individual.
From Greek 'geron' (old man) + 'morphosis' (formation, shaping). This is a technical term used primarily in developmental and evolutionary biology.
Some animals exhibit gerontomorphosis as an adaptation—certain deep-sea fish develop exaggerated, aged-looking features early in life, possibly because looking old and worn-out deters predators from eating them.
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