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Glite Dictionary
plesiomorphic

plesiomorphic

9.9
A feature that comes from the early ancestors of a group
  • adjective
  • /ˌplɛziəˈmɔrfɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : plesiomórfico
  • Researchers agreed that the shared features among these species were likely plesiomorphic, indicating their common ancestry.

Examples

  • I know how to deal with members of plesiomorphic outgroups like you.

    Blog text (29)

  • The presence of certain anatomical structures is considered a plesiomorphic trait that links ancient and modern species.

  • In evolutionary studies, a plesiomorphic characteristic often provides insight into the ancestral lineage of organisms.

Synonyms

ancestral
vsplesiomorphic
43 5.5

Related to family members from earlier generations

is specific to primitive traits within an evolutionary group

How Ancestral

plesiomorphic
  • Specialized
9.9
ancestral
43 5.5
primitive
183 5.1
basal
8 7.0
derived
4.8

Surface Forms

plesiomorphic positive

Morphology

plesiomorphic = plesiomorph (opaque) = plesio + morph + ic

The combining form 'plesio-' and the technical stem 'morph' form a specialist biological term; learners cannot derive 'ancestral' from these parts without subject knowledge.

Etymology

The word plesiomorphic comes from the Greek parts plesio- meaning 'near' and morph meaning 'form', so it means 'near the original form'. That's why a plesiomorphic trait is one that still looks like the ancestor's trait, meaning it is ancestral or primitive.