homoplasy
nounUK /həˈmɒpləsi/
US /həˈmɑːpləsi/
A similarity between living things that evolved separately, not because they share the same ancestor.
The wings of bats and birds are an example of homoplasy because they evolved independently.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In biology, a shared feature that arose independently in different lineages rather than from a common ancestor.
Scientists use homoplasy to explain why unrelated species can look alike.
3. The appearance of the same trait more than once within a single evolutionary tree.
Homoplasy can confuse researchers trying to build family trees.
4. A correspondence in form or function between organisms that is not due to shared ancestry.
The streamlined bodies of dolphins and sharks show homoplasy.