Homoplasy Definition

Homoplasy Sentence Examples

• Ray Lankester's term, homoplasy, has passed into currency as designating such cases where different genetic material has been pressed by similar conditions into similar moulds.

• Homoplasy can only be assumed when the coincidence is of a simple nature, and is such as may be reasonably supposed to have arisen by the action of like selective conditions upon like material in two separate lines of descent.'

• The resemblances which the members of one class often present to the members of another class in regard to the form of the limb-branches (rami) of the parapodia, and the formation of tagmata (regions) are not hastily to be ascribed to common inheritance, but we must consider whether they are not due to homoplasy - that is, to the moulding of natural selection acting in the different classes upon fairly similar elements under like exigencies.

• On the other hand, we must not rashly set down agreements as due to " homoplasy " or " convergence of development " if we find two or three or more concurrent agreements.

• The most fundamental distinction in analysis is that which must be made between homogeny, or true hereditary resemblance, and those multiple forms of adaptive resemblance which are variously known as cases of " analogy," " parallelism," " convergence " and " homoplasy."