apomorphic

About 0.02 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Of a characteristic, distinguishing an organism or taxon from others that share the same ancestor.

   The possession of cilia is an apomorphic trait of this family.

2. adjective Of a taxon, distinguished by such characteristics.

   The genus is highly apomorphic.

Similar words

autapomorphic apomorphous autoapomorphic autapomorphous pleisiomorphic plesiomorphic diagnostic autapotypic homotypic homophyletic

Often followed by

character characters state condition for states features and in