monophylyn.
/ˈmɒnə(ʊ)ˌfʌɪli/, U.S. /ˈmɑnəˌfaɪli/ Biology.
The state of being monophyletic; shared descent from a common ancestor. Cf. monophylesis n., monophyletism n. Opposed to polyphyly n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > heredity or hereditary descent > [noun] > descent from common ancestor
substrain1879
homophyly1883
monophyletism1913
monophyly1929
monophylesis1947
1929 Science 6 Sept. 227/1 The question of the monophyly or polyphyly of the monocots and of the dicots finds analogy in that of the conifers.
1945 G. G. Simpson in Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 85 17/1 It is not useful to set up a classification in which groups with different names cannot be distinguished morphologically, but this does happen if theoretical monophyly is too strictly demanded.
1961 G. G. Simpson Princ. Animal Taxon. iv. 124 Monophyly is the derivation of a taxon through one or more lineages (temporal successions of ancestral-descendant populations) from one immediately ancestral taxon of the same or lower rank.
1988 Zool. Jrnl. Linn. Soc. 112 333 The monophyly of the Capitomidae as traditionally defined was not supported by any morphological synapomorphies.
1993 L. Margulis et al. Illustr. Gloss. Protoctista p. xx/2 Our five-part scheme, in which the protoctists are raised to kingdom status, makes no claim to monophyly.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1929