Definitions

1. noun

A phenomenon where a group or an organism has multiple origins from a common ancestor, resulting in the presence of multiple lineages.

“The study of evolutionary history revealed instances of polyphylly in the species under examination.”

2. noun

A type of multiple inheritance in computer science, where an object or a class has multiple parents or ancestors.

“The use of polyphylly in object-oriented programming led to a more complex but flexible design for the software.”