Apomorphic
- Pronunciation
- /ap-o-MOR-fik/
- Category
- Evolutionary Biology
- Singular
- Apomorphy
- Plural
- Apomorphies
Definition
A character state that is derived and not ancestral.
Etymology
From Greek 'apo-', meaning 'away from', and 'morphe', meaning 'form'.
Example
The presence of feathers in birds is an apomorphic trait.