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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for apomorphy
The first known use of apomorphy was in 1969
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