gerontomorphosis: Meaning and Definition of

ge•ron•to•mor•pho•sis

Pronunciation: ( ju-ron"tu-môr'fu-sis), [key]
— n.
  1. evolutionary specialization of a species to a degree that decreases its capability for further adaptation and eventually leads to its extinction.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.