What is primitive reflex in biology?

This refers to reflex actions exhibited by newborn babies that involve no conscious thought. These reflex actions usually subside as the frontal lobe of the brain of the infant develops sufficiently during the first few months of its life. In some cases, however, certain primitive reflexes may persist beyond the first year of a child’s life. The sucking reflex, stepping reflex, and the rooting reflex are some of the primitive reflexes exhibited by newborn babies. It is believed that some primitive reflexes may simply be remnants of behaviour from the evolutionary past which may have helped infants to survive in tough conditions.

Source: The Hindu, 1/02/2019