The phrase "modern equivalent" means something that is similar to something from the past, but is made or adapted to fit with the present times. Full definition
Setting the system in motion again, whether with the original species or with modern equivalents, is a boon for biodiversity. (discovermagazine.com)
Miller's gewgaws can be seen as modern equivalents to Warhol's dollar - sign paintings and Daniel Buren's stripes — fetishes that have no inherent value in themselves but that externalize unconsciousness, destabilize our relationship to art, and are vivid symbols for their own status as placeholders for the rich. (nymag.com)
While the genetic make - up of the Near East has changed completely over the last few thousand years, the closest modern equivalents to these Neolithic migrants are Sardinians, probably because Sardinia is an isolated island, says Jones. (sciencedaily.com)