If you’re confused about the term Synapomorphy
and Symplesiomorphy, you don’t have to worry. In this guide, we will elaborate
on these two terms, also discuss Synapomorphy vs Symplesiomorphy to make the
description more clear.
To know the difference between synapomorphy and
symplesiomorphy, you need to first understand the meaning of both terms. So
let’s start with the meaning of synapomorphy and symplesiomorphy.
What is Synapomorphy?
The term comes from the Greek word where “Syn” means shared,
“Apo” means away from and “Morphy” means to form or shape. Simply put, animals
share their form or shape as they move away from their ancestors (mother) and
related groups. Thus, Synapomorphy helps scientists to determine that separated
animals are related to which group of ancestors. Animals that share the same Synapomorphy
will likely share the same ancestors. In case, group of organisms shares more
than one synapomorphy, it is clearer that they are related. Synapomorphy is
also known as Homology.
Synapomorphy Definition-
A synapomorphy is a shared and derived character that is
common between its ancestors and descendants. A character or trait is something
that can be observed about the organism. It may be the size of the organism,
type of skin, or things like eye color, or DNA.
