Word of the Day

: February 4, 2013

eurytopic

adjective yur-ih-TAH-pik

What It Means

: tolerant of wide variation in one or more environmental factors

eurytopic in Context

Eurytopic groups are observed in a wide range of habitats.

"Eurytopic species tend to have longer geologic ranges than stenotopic ones because they are more likely to survive environmental disturbances and therefore persist through time." - From Ronald Martin's 2013 book Earth's Evolving Systems

Did You Know?

"Eurytopic" evolved in the 1930s along with "stenotopic," which means "having a narrow range of adaptability to changes in environmental conditions." Both words are rooted in Greek, with "eurys" meaning "broad" or "wide," "stenos" meaning "close" or "narrow," and "topos" meaning "place." Eurytopic species can typically be found in a broad range of places. An example would be the perch, a fish that can be found in ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. By contrast, stenotopic species inhabit a narrow region. Examples include the rare Spoon-billed Sandpiper as well as the plants, animals, and other organisms bearing a specific area-related name, such as the Indiana Bat.