plesiomorphic

views updated May 29 2018

plesiomorphic Applied to a character state that is based on features shared by different groups of biological organisms and inherited from a common ancestor. The term is taken from the Greek plesios, ‘near’, and morphe, ‘form’, and means ‘old-featured’. The features to which it is applied were formerly called ‘primitive’. It is the opposite of apomorphic.

A Dictionary of Zoology MICHAEL ALLABY

plesiomorphic

views updated May 08 2018

plesiomorphic Applied to features that are shared by different groups of biological organisms and are inherited from a common ancestor. The term means ‘old-featured’ and the features to which it is applied were formerly called ‘primitive’.

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

plesiomorphic

views updated May 23 2018

plesiomorphic Applied to features that are shared by different groups of biological organisms and are inherited from a common ancestor. The term means ‘old-featured’ and the features to which it is applied were formerly called ‘primitive’.

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences MICHAEL ALLABY

plesiomorphic

views updated May 18 2018

plesiomorphic See plesiomorph.

A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY

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