annidation
nounEtymology From Latin ad (“to”) and nidus (“nest”). Coined by German biologist and university teacher Wilhelm Ludwig in 1950 as "a fifth evolutionary factor".
1
Biology, Ecology, Natural sciences The adaptation of the various genotypes to different ecological niches, such as where a mutant form of a species is maintained in a population because it can flourish in a way that the parent organisms cannot.
- Flax grew more rapidly and matured earlier than linseed and this difference in timing of growth led to annidation.