Elvis taxon

noun

A taxon that has been misidentified as having re-emerged in the fossil record after a period of presumed extinction, but is not actually a descendant of the original taxon, instead having developed a similar morphology through convergent evolution.

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Meanings

nounElvis taxon (plural Elvis taxa)

plural Elvis taxa

  1. biologyA taxon that has been misidentified as having re-emerged in the fossil record after a period of presumed extinction, but is not actually a descendant of the original taxon, instead having developed a similar morphology through convergent evolution.

Origin

Coined in a 1993 paper by D. H. Erwin and M. L. Droser, with reference to the prevalence of impersonators of the singer Elvis Presley.

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Cite this entry
APA

Elvis taxon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Elvis%20taxon

MLA

“Elvis taxon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Elvis%20taxon. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Elvis taxon,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Elvis%20taxon.

Source: Elvis taxon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.