homoplasy

English

Etymology

Coined by British zoologist Ray Lankester in 1870,[1] from homo- +‎ -plasy, formed from Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “similar, alike, the same”) and πλάσσω (plássō, “to shape, to mold”).

Noun

homoplasy (countable and uncountable, plural homoplasies)

  1. (evolutionary theory) A correspondence between the parts or organs of different species acquired as the result of parallel evolution or convergence.

Antonyms

References
  1. Lankester ER (1870). "On the use of the term homology in modern zoology, and the distinction between homogenetic and homoplastic agreements", Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 6 (31): 34–43.
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