po·lyt·o·my 
(pə-lĭtə-mē)
(pə-lĭtə-mē)n.
In a cladogram, a point from which two or more new branches diverge, representing either of two cases:
a. A multiple speciation event in which two or more species diverge from the same ancestor. Also called hard polytomy.
b. A speciation event in which two or more species are presumed to descend from the same ancestor, but the order of speciation is unknown. Also called soft polytomy.
[POLY- + -TOMY (on the model of DICHOTOMY).]