Answer: neoteny

AnswerCrossword Clue
neotenyattainment of sexual maturity in the larval stage
neotenythe production of offspring by an organism in its larval or juvenile form; the elimination of the adult phase of the life cycle
neotenyslowing 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
neotenyretention of some larval or immature characters in adulthood