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So if paedomorphosis was already perplexing in female beetles, it makes even less sense that a male beetle would not develop wings as an adult.

Dr. Ferreira also connected the species to a poorly understood evolutionary trend he and others have studied called paedomorphosis.

“It is the most extremist example of paedomorphosis,” Dr. Ferreira said.

“The umpteen changes that go into the bird skull may all owe to paedomorphosis, to one set of molecular changes in the early embryo.”

This process, known as paedomorphosis, is an efficient evolutionary route.