Lily's Language Lab: 12/12/2025

Lily's Language Lab

Compiled by Lily Randall, Blog Staff Writer & Wortschatzmeisterin (Vocabulary Master) 

This week's word is a scientific term, and it's related to the field of biology.

Here it is: synapomorphy. It's a term used in biology, particularly in cladistics and systematics, to describe a shared characteristic or trait among organisms that evolved from a common ancestor. It often refers to physical traits or characteristics, but it can also refer to behavioral, physiological, or ecological features that evolved after the divergence of the species from their common ancestor. Synapomorphies are considered strong evidence for the evolutionary relationships among species within a phylogenetic tree.

Mary Anning (1799-1847) was the founding mother of the modern science of paleontology. In this picture, we see her as a teenage fossil hunter along England's coastline. (Digital image created by the Editor.)