relict(relic) Applied to organisms that have survived while other related ones have become extinct. Often the term refers to species that formerly had a much wider distribution and have survived locally through periods of unfavourable conditions (e.g. glacial periods or land submergence) by existing in regions called refugia (see refugium), while becoming extinct elsewhere (e.g. some Arctic-alpine plants). They may be part of a relict community (e.g. Dryas octopetala (mountain avens) in Britain, which was widespread during glacial times but is now restricted to a few mountain tops). It may also refer to a surviving species of a group, the other species of which have become extinct (e.g. the coelacanth or Ginkgo biloba, the maidenhair tree, which survived only in Chinese monastery gardens). See also relict sediment.

relict (relic) Applied to organisms that have survived while other related ones have become extinct. Often the term refers to species that formerly had a much wider distribution and have survived locally through periods of unfavourable conditions (e.g. glacial periods or land submergence) by existing in regions called refugia (see REFUGIUM), while becoming extinct elsewhere (e.g. some Arctic-alpine plants). They may be part of a relict community (e.g. Dryas octopetala (mountain avens) in Britain, which was widespread during glacial times but is now restricted to a few mountain tops). It may also refer to a surviving species of a group, the other species of which have become extinct (e.g. Ginkgo biloba, the maidenhair tree).

relict Applied to organisms that have survived while other related ones have become extinct. Often the term refers to species that have survived periods of unfavourable conditions (e.g. glacial periods or land submergence) by existing in regions called refugia, while becoming extinct elsewhere (e.g. some arctic-alpine plants). It may also refer to a surviving species of a group, the other species of which have become extinct (e.g. coelacanth fish). See also RELICT SEDIMENT.

rel·ict / ˈrelikt/ • n. 1. a thing that has survived from an earlier period or in a primitive form. ∎  an animal or plant that has survived while others of its group have become extinct, e.g., the coelacanth. ∎  a species or community that formerly had a wider distribution but now survives in only a few localities such as refugia.2. archaic a widow.

relict †(chiefly Sc.) relic; widow; pl. remains XVI. — L. relictus, n. sg. -um, n. pl. -a, pp. of relinquere leave behind, RELINQUISH. In the sense ‘widow’ (in earliest use Sc.) — OF. relicte, late L. relicta.