polyphyletic
[ pol-ee-fahy-let-ik ]
/ ˌpɒl i faɪˈlɛt ɪk /
adjective
developed from more than one ancestral type, as a group of animals.
OTHER WORDS FROM polyphyletic
pol·y·phy·let·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby polyphyletic
polyphonic,
polyphonic prose,
polyphony,
polyphosphoric acid,
polyphrasia,
polyphyletic,
polyphyodont,
polypill,
polyplastic,
polyplegia,
polyploid
Example sentences from the Web for polyphyletic
British Dictionary definitions for polyphyletic
polyphyletic
/ (ˌpɒlɪfaɪˈlɛtɪk) /
adjective
biology
relating to or characterized by descent from more than one ancestral group of animals or plants
Derived forms of polyphyletic
polyphyletically, adverbWord Origin for polyphyletic
C19: from
poly- +
phyletic
Medical definitions for polyphyletic
polyphyletic
[ pŏl′ē-fī-lĕt′ĭk ]
adj.
Descended or derived from more than one ancestral stock or source.
Of or being the theory that blood cells are derived from several different stem cells, depending on the particular blood cell type.
Other words from polyphyletic
pol′y•phy′le•tism (-fī′lĭ-tĭz′əm) n.Scientific definitions for polyphyletic
polyphyletic
[ pŏl′ē-fī-lĕt′ĭk ]
Relating to a taxonomic group that does not include the common ancestor of the members of the group and whose members have two or more separate origins. A group that consists of flying vertebrates would be polyphyletic, as bats and birds independently evolved flight and do not share a common ancestor. Compare monophyletic paraphyletic.