derived trait definition
Derived (evolution). From Conservapedia. In the study of evolutionary relationships, derived refers to traits that exist in a present organism, but did not exist in the that organism's ancestors. For example, early primates were small and had raccoon-like snouts.he opposite of derived is primitive, which refers to traits in modern organisms which existed in their ancestor group. Thus flight in modern birds would be considered primitive, as the earliest birds had flight, and flightlessness in modern birds would be considered a derived feature.