altricial

Thân thiện

The altricial hatchlings huddle together in their nest.

Definition

Adjective: (Of a bird or other animal) hatched or born in a very undeveloped state and requiring care and feeding by the parents for a period of time. Altricial young are typically naked (or sparsely feathered/furred), blind, and helpless at birth or hatching.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • Robins and sparrows are altricial birds; their chicks are born with their eyes closed and cannot thermoregulate.
  • In contrast to ducks, which are precocial, most songbirds have altricial offspring.
  • The altricial nature of human infants means they require extensive parental investment.

Advanced Usage

• Altriciality (n): The condition of being altricial. This is the noun form describing the developmental strategy.
  • The evolution of altriciality in birds is linked to nest-building behavior and predator avoidance.

Variants and Related Words

• Precocial (adj): The opposite developmental strategy. Precocial young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching (e.g., ducks, chickens, deer).
  • Scientists often compare the survival strategies of altricial and precocial species.

Synonyms

• Helpless (at birth)
• Dependent (at birth)
• Nidicolous (adj): Remaining in the nest for a long time after hatching. This is a closely related zoological term often used interchangeably with 'altricial' for birds.

Notes on Meaning

This is a specialized biological term. Its primary and almost exclusive use is in zoology, ornithology, and related sciences to describe a key developmental mode in animals. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. (of hatchlings) naked and blind and dependent on parents for food