Plesiomorphic
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˌplizioʊˈmɔɹfɪk/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Plesiomorphic is an adjective meaning (cladistics) Sharing a character state with an ancestral clade; primitive.
Meaning
(cladistics) Sharing a character state with an ancestral clade; primitive.
More Meanings
- Plesiomorphous.
Example Sentences
"The cranium is clearly plesiomorphic in overall form, presenting primitive traits shared by earlier hominins," the authors wrote.
[T]he cockroach Polyphaga may represent a condition more plesiomorphic than in other Dictyoptera, but it could as well be paedomorphic, and therefore more derived than in other Dictyoptera [72].
Synonyms for plesiomorphic
Depending on context, synonyms include primitive, basal.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include apomorphous, apomorphic, pleisiomorphic, monophyletic, homophyletic, autapomorphic.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.