Glossรกrio de paleontologia
essential terms and definitions for paleontology and dinosaur science.
Evolution & Classification
15 termsTerms related to dinosaur evolution, taxonomy, and phylogenetic relationships.
Mosaic Evolution
The concept that different features of an organism evolve at different rates. Archaeopteryx shows a โฆ
Polyphyletic
A grouping whose members do not all share the same immediate common ancestor, assembled from โฆ
Homoplasy
The independent evolution of similar features in unrelated lineages. Crests evolved independently in multiple dinosaur โฆ
Adaptive Radiation
The rapid diversification of an ancestral lineage into many ecological niches following an opportunity such โฆ
Archosauria
The group that includes dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodilians, and birds. Archosaurs are distinguished by skull openings, โฆ
Autapomorphy
A derived character state unique to a single taxon, not shared with close relatives. The โฆ
Convergent Evolution
When unrelated organisms independently evolve similar features. Dolphins, ichthyosaurs, and sharks all evolved streamlined body โฆ
Dinosauromorpha
The group containing dinosaurs and their closest relatives. Includes dinosauriforms like Marasuchus and Silesaurus that โฆ
Monophyletic
A grouping that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants, forming a complete natural โฆ
Paraphyletic
A grouping that includes an ancestor but excludes some of its descendants. 'Reptilia' in its โฆ
Phylogenetics
The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms. Cladistic analysis of anatomical and molecular data reconstructs โฆ
Plesiomorphy
An ancestral character state retained from earlier ancestors and shared broadly across a group. Five-fingered โฆ
Sister Group
The closest evolutionary relative of a given taxon, sharing an immediate common ancestor. Birds and โฆ
Synapomorphy
A shared derived character state inherited from a common ancestor, used to define a clade. โฆ