diphyletic

[ dahy-fahy-let-ik ]

adjective

, Biology.

1. of or relating to a taxonomic group of organisms derived from two separate ancestral lines.

diphyletic

/ ˌdaɪfaɪˈlɛtɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or characterized by descent from two ancestral groups of animals or plants

Word History and Origins

Origin of diphyletic¹

First recorded in 1900–05; di- ¹ + phyletic