Homoplasy X homeomorphy

[acvascon@xxxxxxxxxx]

To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk

Homeomorphy_ "the phenomenon of species nearly alike so far as superficial
appearance is concerned, but unlike when particular structural details are
closely examined" (Buckman 1901 [according to Haas & Simpson 1946])

Homeomorphy_ "the phenomenon of general superficial resemblance but
dissimilarity in particular structure" (Cloud 1941 [according to Haas &
Simpson 1946])

Homeomorphy_ "similarities in shape, resulting from parallel or divergent
evolution" (Schindewolf 1940 [according to Haas & Simpson 1946])

Homeomorphy_ "is the result of a convergence which has gone so far as to 
produce a similarity affecting the whole outer appearance of the homeomorphs
to such a degree that the one may be mistaken for the other unless certain
internal or other characters requiring close examination are studied"
(Haas & Simpson 1946)

Homeomorphy_ "I prefer to employ the term homeomorphy only to designate
similarity between the external forms of the whole organisms, rather than
of particular structures...It seems reasonable to conclude that homeomorphy
has probably resulted more commonly from adaptive convergence or from
parallel evolution". (Cloud 1948)

Homoplasy_ "brings about similarities between organisms or their
parts, organs or structures, due not to common ancestry but to independent
acquisition of the similar characters" (Haas & Simpson 1946)

Homoplasy_ "although the term homoplasy is sometimes used to refer to any
kind of convergence, parallelism, or reversal...its connotation is narrower
in cladistic analyses...Homoplasy...results when features hypothesized at
the outset of an analysis to be homologous are found to arise more than once
on a cladogram, or originate and then be lost (Farris 1983; Patterson 1982)
Sanderson & Donoghue (1989)

After taking a look at in the papers cited here, I still do not know if we
can consider homeomorphy as a synonym for homoplasy just like presented by
WEBB (1994). Please, if anyone has a comment let me know.

WEBB, G.E. 1994. Parallelism, non-biotic data and phylogeny reconstruction        
in paleobiology. Lethaia 27: 185-192.

cheers,
Alberto Correa de Vasconcellos
UFRJ-Geologia