somatic
soh-MAT-ik
Definition
Relating to the body of an organism, specifically referring here to physical maturation as opposed to skeletal or sexual development.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek word 'sōmatikos,' which comes from 'sōma' meaning 'body.' It entered English in the 19th century to distinguish bodily traits from mental or reproductive ones.
In the news
In the article, the term describes that a dinosaur had reached 'somatic maturity,' meaning it had finished its physical growth and attained its final adult body size.
For decades, paleontologists argued that a small tyrannosaur found in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation was merely a young T. rex. Then, within five weeks in late 2025, independent studies in Nature and Science showed its bones belonged to mature animals
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com