Term
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Definition
| Possession by two or more species of a trait inherited from a common ancestor, either with or without modification |
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Term
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Definition
| Two characters are similar in function, regardless of evolution |
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Term
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Definition
| Most contemporary phylogenies use the term ‘homoplasy’ to refer to similarity due to convergence or reversal |
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Term
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Definition
| That trait that is inferred to have been present in an ancestor. It is wholly inappropriate to apply this word to an extant organism. |
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Term
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Definition
| The opposite of primitive. Describes a trait that has been modified from that primitive condition inferred to have been present in an ancestor. |
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Term
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Definition
| A state that represents an adaptive modification. |
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Term
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Definition
| Loose term referring to structural complexes that have been modified (i.e. specialized) in some relatives or descendants. |
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