Answer: neotenies

AnswerCrossword Clue
neoteniesthe production of offspring by an organism in its larval or juvenile form; the elimination of the adult phase of the life cycle
neoteniesslowing of the rate of development with the consequent retention in adulthood of a feature or features that appeared in an earlier phase in the life cycle of ancestral individuals
neoteniesNEOTENY, attainment of sexual maturity in the larval stage