relict
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Encyclopedic overview
In biogeography and paleontology, a relict is a population or taxon of organisms that was more widespread or more diverse in the past. A relictual population is a population currently inhabiting a restricted area whose range was far wider during a previous geologic epoch. Similarly, a relictual taxon is a taxon (e.g. species or other lineage) which is the sole surviving representative of a formerly diverse group.
Definition
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “relict” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.