1. Plural of homoplasy; similarities in structure or form between organisms that are not due to common ancestry, but rather to independent evolution or convergent evolution.
Usage: biology; evolutionary biology; technical term

Examples

• The wings of birds and insects are homoplasies, having evolved independently to serve similar functions.
• Scientists must distinguish between homoplasies and true homologies when constructing evolutionary trees.
• The streamlined body shape in dolphins and sharks represents homoplasies rather than shared ancestry.
• Homoplasies can complicate phylogenetic analysis if not carefully identified.
• The development of eyes in different animal groups provides multiple examples of homoplasies.