A Derived Character That is Shared Among Two or More

Question

A derived character that is shared among two or more lineages is also called a(n)________.
A) apomorphy
B) plesiomorphy
C) synapomorphy
D) clade

Accepted Answer

A synapomorphy is a derived character that is shared among two or more lineages and is used to define a clade. A plesiomorphy is a primitive character shared by multiple taxa, while an apomorphy is a derived character unique to a particular taxon.