Hypomorphosis
Hypomorphosis
a path of phylogenetic development of organisms leading to simplification of organization.
Hypomorphosis takes place in connection with a change in the environment that was appropriate for the ontogeny of an animal’s precursors (for example, neoteny in aquatic caudate amphibians), with simplification of its life conditions (for example, in parasitism), or with decrease in body size (for example, in rotifers and tardigrades). Hypomorphosis is a variety of morphophysiological regression.