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monophyletic
monophyletic In systematics, describing a group of organisms that contains all the descendants of a particular single common ancestor. In cladistics such a grouping is called a clade and is the only type of group regarded as valid when constructing classification schemes. Hence the monophyletic grouping Theria contains the marsupial and placental mammals, together with their extinct Mesozoic relatives, all of which share an immediate common ancestor not shared by the more distantly related egg-laying mammals (comprising the Prototheria). Similarly, birds and crocodiles are the living representatives of a monophyletic group, Archosauria, and are more closely related to each other than to other living reptilian descendants. Consequently the grouping `reptiles', used in many modern classification systems, is not monophyletic but paraphyletic, since it excludes the birds (and mammals). Compare polyphyletic.
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Cite this article
"monophyletic." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-monophyletic.html "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-monophyletic.html |
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monophyletic
monophyletic Applied to a group of species that share a common ancestry, being derived from a single interbreeding (or Mendelian) population, as opposed to a polyphyletic group, which is derived from many such populations. If the members of a given taxon are descended from a common ancestor they are said to be monophyletic (e.g. the families within a class would be monophyletic if they were all descended from the same family or a lower taxonomic unit). Under the strictest definition they would all have to be descended from a single species. Monophyly is sometimes used interchangeably with holophyly.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-monophyletic.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-monophyletic.html |
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monophyletic
monophyletic Applied to a group of species that share a common ancestry, being derived from a single interbreeding (or Mendelian) population, as opposed to a polyphyletic group (see POLYPHYLETISM), which is derived from many such populations. If the members of a given taxon are descended from a common ancestor, they are said to be monophyletic; e.g., the families within a class would be monophyletic if they were all descended from the same family or a lower taxonomic unit. Under the strictest definition, they would all have to be descended from a single species.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-monophyletic.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-monophyletic.html |
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monophyletic
monophyletic If the members of a given taxon are descended from a common ancestor they are said to be ‘monophyletic’, e.g. the families within a class would be monophyletic if they were all descended from the same family or lower taxonomic unit. Under the strictest definition they would all have to be descended from a single species. Compare POLYPHYLETIC.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-monophyletic.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-monophyletic.html |
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monophyletic
monophyletic See MONOPHYLY.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-monophyletic.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "monophyletic." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-monophyletic.html |
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