noun
- Plural of homophyly; instances or cases of similarity in structure or form between organisms that share a common evolutionary origin, as opposed to convergent evolution.
Usage: technical; biology; rare
Examples
- The homophylies between mammalian limbs suggest a shared ancestral structure.
- Evolutionary biologists study homophylies to trace the relationships between species.
- These homophylies indicate that the organisms diverged from a common ancestor.
- The skeletal homophylies across primate species provide evidence for their evolutionary connection.