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Symplesiomorphy vs Synapomorphy - What's the difference?

symplesiomorphy | synapomorphy |

In cladistics terms the difference between symplesiomorphy and synapomorphy

is that symplesiomorphy is an ancestral trait shared by two or more taxa while synapomorphy is a derived trait that is shared by two or more taxa of shared ancestry.

symplesiomorphy

English

Noun

(symplesiomorphies)
  • (cladistics) An ancestral trait shared by two or more taxa.

    • Related terms

    * symplesiomorphic

    synapomorphy

    English

    Noun

    (synapomorphies)
  • (cladistics) A derived trait that is shared by two or more taxa of shared ancestry

    • Antonyms

    * (derived trait that is shared) plesiomorphy

    Derived terms

    * synapomorphic

    See also

    *autapomorphy