Atavism

Atavism is when a person or animal has a physical trait that is more commonly found in their ancestors from a long, long time ago. It’s like when you wear your grandma’s old clothes, even though they are not in style anymore!

For example, some people might have an extra toe, or a tail. These are traits that our ancestors had a long time ago, but most people today don’t have them anymore.

So, when someone has an atavistic trait, it’s like a little bit of their family history peeping through the years to say hello!