klepton

English

Alternative forms

• kl. (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κλέπτ(ης) (klépt(ēs), “thief”) + -on, after taxon.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈklɛptɒn/
• Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation) -ɛptɒn

Noun

klepton (plural kleptons or klepta)

1. (biology) A species that requires input from another biological taxon (normally from a species which is closely related to the kleptonic species) to complete its reproductive cycle.
   • 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 157:

     Most kleptons are female, and some don’t use the genes of the male at all, merely deploying his sperm to stimulate the egg into development without fertilising it.

Derived terms

• gynoklepton
• kleptogenesis
• kleptonic
• synklepton
• tychoklepton
• zygoklepton

 

Translations

species that needs input from another taxon to reproduce

• Portuguese: clépton m
• Spanish: cleptón (es) m

Further reading

• Klepton on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• plekton