autapomorphy

noun

au·​tap·​o·​mor·​phy ȯ-ˈta-pə-ˌmȯr-fē 

plural autapomorphies

biological taxonomy

: a specialized character or trait that is unique to a monophyletic taxonomic group

… An eversible penis is a synapomorphy that unites lizards and snakes in a common monophyletic group, the Squamata, but is an autapomorphy of the Squamata within a larger monophyletic assemblage.

—Robert L. Carroll, Patterns and Processes in Vertebrate Evolution, 1997

These species share key traits as autapomorphies of their clade—and since these traits help to construct the relevant environment, sufficient similarity becomes, in part, an active construction of related organisms, not only a happenstance of common externalities.

—Stephen Jay Gould, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, 2002

autapomorphic

ȯ-ˌta-pə-ˈmȯr-fik 

adjective

or less commonly autapomorph

ȯ-ˈta-pə-ˌmȯrf 

These features are not known for any Jurassic and Cretaceous mammals and are autapomorphic for this new mammalian lineage.

—Zhe-Xi Luo and John R. Wible, Science, 1 Apr. 2005

autapomorphous

ȯ-ˌta-pə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

adjective

The Chondrichthyes are a monophyletic clade and are principally distinguished on the basis of two unique autapomorphous character sets.

—Eileen D. Grogan and Richard Lund, in Biology of Sharks and their Relatives, 2004

Word History

Etymology

autapomorph (borrowed from German, from aut- aut- + apomorph "apomorphic") + -y entry 2

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!