What is "polygenesis"

Polygenesis \Pol`y*gen"e*sis\ (-j[e^]n"[-e]*s[i^]s), Polygeny \Po*lyg"e*ny\ (p[-o]*l[i^]j"[-e]*n[y^]), n. [Poly- + genesis, or root of Gr. gi`gnesqai to be born.] (Biol.) The theory that living organisms originate in cells or embryos of different kinds, instead of coming from a single cell; -- opposed to monogenesis.

"plurality of origins," 1858, from poly- + -genesis "birth, origin, creation." Related: Polygenetic (1851).

n. 1 The genesis of a species from more than one ancestor. 2 (context biology English) The theory that living organisms originate in cells or embryos of different kinds, instead of coming from a single cell; as opposed to monogenesis. 3 (context linguistics English) The theory that languages developed independently in different places at different periods, as opposed to originating from a single source.

Polygenesis can refer to:

• Polygenesis (biology), a theory of multiple independent origins of organisms from a common genetic pool. See work by Leonid Moroz, Christian Schwabe, or Periannan Senapathy.
• Polygenesis (linguistics), a theory of language origin
• Polygenism, a theory of human origin
• Gene duplication, a form of genetic disorder resulting in the overexpression of a particular gene

In the field of linguistics, polygenesis is the view that human languages evolved as several lineages independent of one another. It is contrasted with monogenesis, which is the view that human languages all go back to a single common ancestor.

Polygenesis is not to be confused with the wave theory, originally propounded by Johannes Schmidt.