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The term polyphyly, or polyphyletic, derives from the two Ancient Greek words πολύς (polús) 'many, a lot of', and φῦλον (phûlon) 'genus, species', and refers to the fact that a polyphyletic group includes organisms (e.g., genera, species) arising from multiple ancestral sources.
Loosely, a monophyletic taxon is one that includes a group of organisms descended from a single ancestor , whereas a polyphyletic taxon is composed of unrelated organisms descended from more than one ancestor.
Polyphyly is the occurrence of members of a taxon that have different ancestral origins. Learn how polyphyly differs from errors of classification and how it is treated by modern phyletic taxonomists.
Polyphyly is the condition of having more than one ancestor for a given group of organisms. This article reviews the diversity and evolution of green plant body plans, which are often polyphyletic and complex.
Polyphyly is the condition of a group of organisms that have evolved from different ancestors. Learn how polyphyly applies to denitrifier communities, a group of microorganisms that can reduce nitrate to nitrogen gas.
Polyphyly is a term in cladistics. It describes a group of organisms whose last common ancestor is not a member of the group. Another way of expressing this is to say that polyphyly includes groups some members of which are descended from ancestral populations.
Polyphyly is a term for a group of organisms that are not monophyletic, meaning they do not share a common ancestor. This web page provides an overview of polyphyly in different fields of biology, such as diatoms, RNA viruses, and SARS-CoV-2.
