Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An evolved character or trait that is unique to a single species or group within a larger phylogenetic group. Speech is an autapomorphy of humans among primates.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun cladistics A derived trait that is unique to a particular taxon

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Examples

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  • "An apomorphy unique to a single species."

    - SNPA

    March 21, 2009