Difference between character and character states

1 answer

Characters are traits or features used to describe a species or group of organisms. Character states are the different variations or forms that a character can take within a group or species. For example, hair color is a character, while black, brown, blonde, and red are character states that hair color can exist in. Therefore, a character is a general trait or feature, while character states describe the variations or possibilities of that trait or feature.