What is Synapomorphy?
[[Image:synapomorphy.jpg|thumb|279px|A [[cladogram]] showing the terminology used to describe different patterns of ancestral and derived character states.<ref>Page, Roderic D.M. and Holmes, Edward C. 1998. ''Molecular evolution: a phylogenetic approach.'' Wiley-Blackwell.</ref>]] A '''synapomorphy''' is a common character. It is a term in [[cladistics]], meaning a [[Trait (biology)|trait]] which is present in two or more [[species]] by [[common descent]]. It is a type of homologous character or [[homology]]. More precisely, it is shared by two or more [[taxa]] and their most recent [[common ancestor]], whose own ancestor in turn does not possess the trait. Thus, it is not just an ancestral trait, but a recently evolved distinguishing trait. It helps to distinguish between two trees of descent which would otherwise be equally likely. == References == {{Reflist}} [[Category:Cladistics]] [[de:Apomorphie#Unterteilung von Apomorphien]]