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monophyletic

[mon-oh-fahy-let-ik]
adjective
  1. Biology. consisting of organisms descended from a single taxon.
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Origin of monophyletic

First recorded in 1870–75; mono- + phyletic
Related formsmon·o·phy·le·tism [mon-uh-fahy-li-tiz-uh m, -fil-i-] /ˌmɒn əˈfaɪ lɪˌtɪz əm, -ˈfɪl ɪ-/, mon·o·phy·le·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for monophyletic

Historical Examples of monophyletic

  • On the question as to whether descent was monophyletic or polyphyletic Darwin expressed no dogmatic opinion.

    Form and Function

    E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell

  • The problem of the monophyletic or polyphyletic origin of the human race has also been much discussed.

  • It is generally believed that the Arthropoda constitute a natural, monophyletic group.

British Dictionary definitions for monophyletic

monophyletic

adjective
  1. relating to or characterized by descent from a single ancestral group of animals or plants
  2. (of animals or plants) of or belonging to a single stock
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
monophyletic in Medicine

monophyletic

(mŏn′ō-fī-lĕt′ĭk)
adj.
  1. Descended or derived from one original stock or source.
  2. Of or being the theory that all blood cells are derived from one common stem cell.
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Related formsmon′o•phy′le•tism (-fī′lĭ-tĭz′əm) n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
monophyletic in Science

monophyletic

[mŏn′ō-fī-lĕt′ĭk]
  1. Relating to a taxonomic group that contains all the descendants of a single common ancestor. All clades, such as birds and placental mammals, are monophyletic. Compare paraphyletic polyphyletic.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.