1. the theory that human races developed from several different ancestral types
Usage: anthropological; historical
2. origin or development from multiple sources or causes
Usage: scientific

Examples

• The theory of polygenesis was popular among some 19th-century anthropologists.
• Modern genetics has largely disproven polygenesis in favor of common human ancestry.
• The polygenesis of certain cultural practices can be observed across different civilizations.
• Scientists studied the polygenesis of similar traits in unrelated species.
• The concept of polygenesis contrasts with theories of single origin.
• Polygenesis was once used to justify racial hierarchies but lacks scientific support.