polyembryony
1. The formation of more than one embryo in a plant seed. Often one embryo develops from the fertilized egg cell, while the others have formed asexually from other tissues in the ovule.

2. The formation of more than one embryo from a single animal zygote. Identical twins are produced in this way.

polyembryony The production of two or more individuals from a single egg by the division of the embryo at an early stage of development. Some parasitic wasps may produce hundreds of offspring from a single fertilized egg.

polyembryony The production of two or more individuals from a single egg by the division of the embryo at an early stage of development. Some parasitic wasps may produce hundreds of offspring from a single fertilized egg.