Answer: neotenous

AnswerCrossword Clue
neotenousexhibiting neoteny, retention of infantile or juvenile characteristics into adulthood also NEOTENIC
neotenousthe production of offspring by an organism in its larval or juvenile form; the elimination of the adult phase of the life cycle
neotenousslowing 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