Home > Community > What is an apomorphy? What is a plesiomorphy? Can someone confirm these definitions?
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Alberto Rasà

What is an apomorphy? What is a plesiomorphy? Can someone confirm these definitions?

Bill Walker  Follow

Apomorphy can simply be defined as derived trait or character state that is distinct to a particular species or group in a phylogenetic tree down to its descendants. The example you cited is fine.

Plesiomorphy is an ancestral or primitive traits that are homologous to a certain group of organisms but not unique to the other members of the group, hence cannot be used as a diagnostic character for the group.

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Geoffrey Baynes  Follow
Please try adding citation or scientific references to your answer.More
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Brandon Lopez  Follow

That sounds pretty good. On this kind of things wikipaedia is very reliable.You can also look at this very synthetic page:

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/distinguish-between-synapomorphy-apomorphy-304128

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Idealist  Follow
The link has expired.More
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