I think it attracted more criticism because it became briefly quite popular and well known, despite lacking clear evidence. Other theories have either attracted less attention over all or have been a better fit with the available evidence.
If you’re interested in the subject can I recommend a book called ‘The Eternal Child’ by Clive Bromhall? It’s a zoologist’s take on how neoteny has shaped humans, both physically and mentally. Fascinating.
The ELI5 is likely too simple to satisfy you. There is no evidence for it and it doesn’t line up with the evidence we have. It’s a “theory” more in the layman’s use of that term, e.i. it’s an idea someone thought of that might be possible. It’s not a theory in scientific terms because it doesn’t fit the existing pattern of data.
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