superfecundation

/,sju:pəfə'teiʃn/

Thân thiện

A veterinarian explains superfecundation to a student using a diagram of animal reproduction.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fertilization of two or more ova released during the same menstrual cycle by sperm from separate acts of coitus (especially by different males): A biological phenomenon where multiple eggs, released in a single ovulation cycle, are fertilized by sperm from separate sexual encounters. This can result in a multiple pregnancy where the fetuses have different biological fathers.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The rare case of twins with different fathers was explained by superfecundation.
  • Superfecundation is a possible, though uncommon, explanation for fraternal twins exhibiting significant physical differences.

Advanced Usage and Context

• Scientific/Medical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical, biological, and forensic contexts to describe a specific reproductive event.
  • The paternity test results led to a diagnosis of superfecundation.
• Legal/Forensic Context: It can be relevant in paternity disputes or inheritance cases.
  • The court considered the possibility of superfecundation in the complex paternity suit.

Variants and Related Words

• Superfetation (noun): The fertilization and implantation of a second ovum after a pregnancy has already begun, leading to fetuses of different gestational ages.

Synonyms

• Heteropaternal superfecundation: A more specific term used when the separate acts of coitus involve different males.
• Multiple fertilization: A broader, less technical term that could encompass the concept.

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning involves separate acts of coitus fertilizing multiple ova from the same ovulation cycle.
• It is a subset of dizygotic (fraternal) twinning or multiple births.
• The phrase "especially by different males" in the definition highlights the most notable and legally significant scenario, but superfecundation can also occur from separate acts with the same male.

Học thuật

Noun

1. fertilization of two or more ova released during the same menstrual cycle by sperm from separate acts of coitus (especially by different males)