To save this word, you'll need to log in.
ap·o·mor·phy | \ ˈa-pə-ˌmȯr-fē 
\
\ plural apomorphies
Definition of apomorphy
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
Other Words from apomorphy
apomorphic \ ¦a-pə-¦mȯr-fik \ or less commonly apomorph \ ˈa-pə-ˌmȯrf \ adjective
\ or less commonly apomorph \ ˈa-pə-ˌmȯrf \ 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, 1982
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on apomorphy
What made you want to look up apomorphy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share apomorphy
Time Traveler for apomorphy
The first known use of apomorphy was in 1969
See more words from the same year