hypertelyn.
/hʌɪˈpəːtɪli//ˈhʌɪpəˌtɛli/ Zoology.
Extreme development of size, patterns of behaviour, mimetic coloration, etc. beyond the degree to which these characteristics are apparently useful. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by habits or actions > habits and actions > [noun] > unnecessary development of action or feature
hypertely1895
1895 D. Sharp in Cambr. Nat. Hist. V. xiii. 323 Brunner..came to the conclusion that they [sc. close resemblances] cannot be accounted for on the ground of mere utility, and proposed the term Hypertely to express the idea that in these cases the bounds of the useful are transcended.
1920 G. D. H. Carpenter Naturalist on Lake Victoria x. 196 Special procryptic colouring never fails to arouse wonder from its extreme perfection... This complimentary [sic] doctrine has been termed Hypertely.
1937 A. Huxley Ends & Means xiv. 262 We are doing our best to develop a militaristic ‘hypertely’, to become, in other words, dangerously specialized in the art of killing our fellows.
1953 G. G. Simpson Major Features Evol. ix. 282 Almost any case in which size, structure, or habit..is carried to extremes may be cited as hypertely.
1965 B. E. Freeman tr. A. Vandel Biospeleol. xi. 168 Hypertely represents the end of a long orthogenetic evolution.
Derivatives
hyperˈtelic adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by habits or actions > habits and actions > [adjective] > unnecessarily developed (of action or feature)
hypertelic1936
1936 Nature 10 Oct. 603/2 We find that intraspecific selection frequently leads to results which are mainly..useless to the species as a whole, including ‘hypertelic’ characters.
1953 G. G. Simpson Major Features Evol. ix. 287 Many of the characters commonly designated as hypertelic are striking secondary sexual characters.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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n.1895