Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis in biology is physical development of the individual after birth or hatching involving significant change in form as well as growth and differentiation. It usually accompanies a change of habitat or of habits but may occur without such change. It was once thought that in those cases where the animal's habitat remains unchanged metamorphosis followed a series of forms representing evolutionary ancestors of the species in question (see ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny), but this is no longer thought to be the case.
The first type of metamorphosis is illustrated by many insects and by amphibians. Immature dragonflies are aquatic though the adults are flying insects, and frogs undergo a metamorphosis from an aquatic tadpole to an amphibious adult form. Change of habits is illustrated by the transformation of the free-swimming young of many aquatic invertebrates into sessile adults (eg sea squirts), and the development of butterflies and moths from caterpillars with chewing mouthparts into flying insects with sucking mouthparts.
The first type of metamorphosis is illustrated by many insects and by amphibians. Immature dragonflies are aquatic though the adults are flying insects, and frogs undergo a metamorphosis from an aquatic tadpole to an amphibious adult form. Change of habits is illustrated by the transformation of the free-swimming young of many aquatic invertebrates into sessile adults (eg sea squirts), and the development of butterflies and moths from caterpillars with chewing mouthparts into flying insects with sucking mouthparts.
Source: wikipedia, under GFDL
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