|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
relict
relict(relic) Applied to organisms that have survived while other related ones have become extinct. Often the term refers to species that formerly had a much wider distribution and have survived locally through periods of unfavourable conditions (e.g. glacial periods or land submergence) by existing in regions called refugia (see refugium), while becoming extinct elsewhere (e.g. some Arctic-alpine plants). They may be part of a relict community (e.g. Dryas octopetala (mountain avens) in Britain, which was widespread during glacial times but is now restricted to a few mountain tops). It may also refer to a surviving species of a group, the other species of which have become extinct (e.g. the coelacanth or Ginkgo biloba, the maidenhair tree, which survived only in Chinese monastery gardens). See also relict sediment.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-relict.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-relict.html |
|
relict
relict (relic) Applied to organisms that have survived while other related ones have become extinct. Often the term refers to species that formerly had a much wider distribution and have survived locally through periods of unfavourable conditions (e.g. glacial periods or land submergence) by existing in regions called refugia (see REFUGIUM), while becoming extinct elsewhere (e.g. some Arctic-alpine plants). They may be part of a relict community (e.g. Dryas octopetala (mountain avens) in Britain, which was widespread during glacial times but is now restricted to a few mountain tops). It may also refer to a surviving species of a group, the other species of which have become extinct (e.g. Ginkgo biloba, the maidenhair tree).
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-relict.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-relict.html |
|
relict
relict Applied to organisms that have survived while other related ones have become extinct. Often the term refers to species that have survived periods of unfavourable conditions (e.g. glacial periods or land submergence) by existing in regions called refugia, while becoming extinct elsewhere (e.g. some arctic-alpine plants). It may also refer to a surviving species of a group, the other species of which have become extinct (e.g. coelacanth fish). See also RELICT SEDIMENT.
|
|
|
Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-relict.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "relict." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-relict.html |
|
relict
rel·ict / ˈrelikt/ • n. 1. a thing that has survived from an earlier period or in a primitive form. ∎ an animal or plant that has survived while others of its group have become extinct, e.g., the coelacanth. ∎ a species or community that formerly had a wider distribution but now survives in only a few localities such as refugia. 2. archaic a widow. |
|
|
Cite this article
"relict." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "relict." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-relict.html "relict." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-relict.html |
|
relict
relict A group of organisms that survives as a remnant of a formerly much larger group, in terms of either taxonomic diversity (evolutionary relict) or geographical distribution (geographical relict). The term can be applied to species, genera, other taxa, or to populations or even to entire communities.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"relict." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "relict." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-relict.html "relict." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-relict.html |
|
relict
relict †(chiefly Sc.) relic; widow; pl. remains XVI. — L. relictus, n. sg. -um, n. pl. -a, pp. of relinquere leave behind, RELINQUISH. In the sense ‘widow’ (in earliest use Sc.) — OF. relicte, late L. relicta.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "relict." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "relict." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-relict.html T. F. HOAD. "relict." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-relict.html |
|
relict
relict •addict, afflict, conflict, constrict, contradict, convict, delict, depict, evict, hand-picked, inflict, interdict, Pict, predict, strict
•edict
•Benedict • verdict
•imperfect, perfect, pluperfect, word-perfect
•object • subject • relict • district
•concoct, decoct
•landlocked • dreadlocked
•unprovoked, unsmoked
•uncooked, unlooked
•abduct, adduct, conduct, construct, destruct, duct, instruct, misconduct, obstruct
•ventiduct • aqueduct • product
•safe-conduct • viaduct
•handworked, unworked
•mulct • unthanked • sacrosanct
•distinct, extinct, succinct
•precinct • instinct
•conjunct, defunct, disjunct, injunct
•adjunct • unasked
|
|
|
Cite this article
"relict." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "relict." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-relict.html "relict." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-relict.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
