While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The axolotl is an amphibian native to lakes near Mexico City.
- Axolotls retain larval features into adulthood, a trait called neoteny.
- Their external gills resemble feathery fronds.
- Wild axolotls are critically endangered.
The student wants to define neoteny as it applies to axolotls.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?