Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
A shared derived character is a trait that is unique to a particular clade and was not present in distant ancestors. It helps distinguish members of that clade from other organisms.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Shared derived characters are also called synapomorphies.
They are crucial for constructing accurate phylogenetic trees.
These traits indicate common ancestry among species within a group.
Shared derived characters help identify evolutionary branches.
They differentiate between homologies (shared ancestry) and analogies (convergent evolution).
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Related terms
Clade: A group of organisms believed to have evolved from a common ancestor.
Homology: Similarity in traits resulting from shared ancestry.
Analogous Structures: Traits that are similar due to convergent evolution, not common ancestry.