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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Homoplasy and Homology?

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Homoplasy and homology are both evolutionary concepts that describe the similarity between physical traits between species. However, they have distinct meanings and implications for understanding the relationships between organisms.

Homology refers to the similarity between characters that is due to their shared ancestry. In other words, homology is the presence of similar traits in different species because they share a common ancestor.

Homoplasy, on the other hand, refers to the similarity between characters that is not due to shared ancestry but rather due to independent evolution. In this case, two or more species have similar physical characteristics, but they are not necessarily derived from a common ancestor.

In summary, the key difference between homoplasy and homology lies in the ancestral relationship between the species exhibiting similar traits. While homology indicates a shared ancestry, homoplasy indicates similarity due to independent evolution.

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  • What is the Difference Between Homoplasy and Homology?
  • Comparative Table: Homoplasy vs Homology

    • Comparative Table: Homoplasy vs Homology

    Here is a table comparing the differences between homoplasy and homology:

    Feature Homoplasy Homology
    Definition Homoplasy is an inheritance pattern where two or more species have similar physical characteristics due to convergent evolution. Homology is an inheritance pattern where two or more species have similar physical characteristics due to their shared ancestry.
    Evolutionary Pattern Results from convergence evolution, where different species evolve similar traits independently. Results from divergent evolution, where species with a common ancestor evolve similar traits due to their shared heritage.
    Ancestry Similarities between species are not due to a common ancestor. Similarities between species are due to a common ancestor.
    Examples The similarities between the wings of birds and insects, which evolved independently for flying. The similarities between the limbs of humans and other primates, which evolved from a common ancestor.

    Both homoplasy and homology involve similarities between physical traits in different species, but they arise from different evolutionary processes: homoplasy results from convergent evolution, while homology results from divergent evolution.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.