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homoplasy
homoplasy The similarity of a particular character in two different, yet often related, groups of organisms that is not the result of common ancestry. Such a similarity may arise due to convergent evolution, parallel evolution, or an evolutionary reversal, and is therefore potentially misleading when examining shared characters in constructing phylogenetic trees (see cladistics). For example, wings in bats and birds are a convergent, and therefore homoplasic, character. Hence, all efforts are made to distinguish homoplasic characters from homologous derived characters (see apomorphy). Compare analogous; patristic.
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"homoplasy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-homoplasy.html "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-homoplasy.html |
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homoplasy
homoplasy In the course of evolution, the appearance of similar structures in different lineages (i.e. not by inheritance from a common ancestor). The term includes convergent evolution and parallel evolution. See also REVERSAL.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-homoplasy.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-homoplasy.html |
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homoplasy
homoplasy In the course of evolution, the appearance of similar structures in different lineages (i.e. not by inheritance from a common ancestor). The term includes convergence, parallelism, and reversal.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-homoplasy.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-homoplasy.html |
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homoplasy
homoplasy In the course of evolution, the appearance of similar structures in different lineages (i.e. not by inheritance from a common ancestor). The term includes convergence and parallelism.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-homoplasy.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-homoplasy.html |
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homoplasy
homoplasy The occurrence of similar features in distantly related taxa (see TAXON) as a result of convergent or parallel evolution.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-homoplasy.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "homoplasy." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-homoplasy.html |
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