返祖

fǎnzǔ

返祖 — fǎnzǔ

1. atavism; the reappearance of ancestral traits in an organism

   医生说他长出尾巴是一种返祖现象。 yīshēng shuō tā zhǎng chū wěiba shì yīzhǒng fǎnzǔxiànxiàng — The doctor said his growing a small tail was an atavistic phenomenon.

2. to revert to ancestral characteristics; to exhibit atavistic traits

   某些育种实验中，后代会返祖出父母或祖先的性状。 mǒuxiē yùzhǒng shíyàn zhōng hòudài huì fǎnzǔ chū fùmǔ huò zǔxiān de xìngzhuàng — In some breeding experiments, offspring may revert and show traits of their parents or ancestors.