Definition of apomorphy
apomorphies
biological taxonomy
: a specialized trait or character that is unique to a group or species : a character state (such as the presence of feathers) not present in an ancestral form In this case, white flowers are a derived condition, an apomorphy, and red flowers are the ancestral condition. — James D. Mauseth, Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology, 2009
apomorphic
\¦a-pə-¦mȯr-fik\ play less commonlyapomorph
\ˈa-pə-ˌmȯrf\ play adjective As far as possible, it is assumed that each apomorphic evolutionary event only occurred once in the history of each group of related taxa … — C. Barry Cox and Peter D. Moore, Biogeography: An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach, 2010 … such apomorph characters are believed to be found only among the descendants of the ancestor in which the character first occurred. — Ernst Mayr, The Growth of Biological Thought, 1982Explore Merriam-Webster
There's more!
Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:
- More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
- Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
- Advanced search features
- Ad free!
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up apomorphy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!