homeoplasy

/həʊmiːˈplɑːzi/

Definitions

1. noun

The phenomenon of similar body structures in different species that are not closely related, often resulting from convergent evolution.

“The biologist studied the homeoplasy between the whale’s dorsal fin and the shark’s fin to understand their shared evolutionary history.”

Synonyms

  • analogous structures
  • convergent evolution

Antonyms

  • divergent evolution