Isomorphism (biology)

For other uses of isomorphism, see isomorphism (disambiguation).

In biology, an isomorphism is a similarity of form or structure between organisms, generally between organisms with independent ancestries, e.g. after convergent evolution. Two organisms exhibiting isomorphism are referred to as isomorphs.[1]

The separate evolution of camera eyes in vertebrates and cephalopods (and insects, and many more, in as many as fifty separate instances), is an example of isomorphism. So is the evolution of wings in insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats.

References

  1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Isomorphism