Of living things: occupying a high rank in the (notional) hierarchy of creation; having a highly developed or complex organization. Cf. higher, adj.…

= recapitulatory, adj.

Biology. Characterized by development of features characteristic of a simpler organism or of an earlier evolutionary stage; regressive.

of or pertaining to transmutation, esp. in sense 3f.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of ontogenesis; relating to the development of the individual organism.

Biology. Due to or characterized by convergence (see convergence, n. 5); of similar structure but of different origin.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of phylogenesis or phylogeny.

Biology. Of variations of structure, etc.: Mutually related so that the one is normally associated with the other: see correlation, n. 3.

= ontogenetic, adj.

= phylogenetic, adj.

Of or relating to the evolution or development of plants.

Biology. Of evolution: = anagenetic adj. at anagenesis, n. derivatives. Now rare and historical.

= phytogenetic, adj.

Biology. Of evolution: leading to new species by the splitting of existing ones. Cf. cladogenetic adj. at cladogenesis, n. derivatives. Now historical…

= ontogenetic, adj.

= phylogenetic, adj.

Relating to, of the nature of, or characterized by recapitulation (recapitulation, n.1, in various senses).

of or exhibiting tachygenesis.

= ontogenetic, adj.

Biology. = orthogenetic, adj.

Biology. Of, relating to, or characterized by orthogenesis.

Of or relating to microevolution.

Of, characterized by, or involving proterogenesis.

pertaining to or resulting from speciation (esp. in speciational evolution).

Of related animal or plant populations or species: occurring in distinct but contiguous areas, i.e. without full geographic separation. Also…

Of speciation: occurring as a result of the development of different breeding seasons in populations which are not geographically separated; (of…

characterized by stasigenesis.

Applied to a form of speciation in which new taxa are considered to arise within the geographical range of the parent species, each part of which…

showing or inducing speciation.

Biology. Of, relating to, or in accordance with punctuationism; (of evolution or an evolutionary change) taking place rapidly, esp. in a single…

appearing or developing suddenly (Webster Suppl. 1902).