Overview
Cladistics is a vital method in biology that classifies organisms based on their evolutionary relationships. By focusing on shared characteristics and common ancestry, cladistics helps scientists understand how different species are related and how they have evolved over time. This method uses tools...
Key Terms
Example: The clade of mammals includes all species that descended from the first mammal.
Example: A phylogenetic tree can show how birds are related to reptiles.
Example: The forelimbs of humans and bats are homologous traits.
Example: Wings of birds and insects are analogous traits.
Example: Birds form a monophyletic group.
Example: Reptiles are a paraphyletic group because they exclude birds.
Related Topics
Evolutionary Theory
Study of the processes that drive evolution, including natural selection and genetic drift.
intermediateTaxonomy
The science of naming and classifying organisms based on shared characteristics.
intermediateMolecular Phylogenetics
Using molecular data to infer evolutionary relationships among species.
advancedKey Concepts
Phylogenetic treeCladesHomologous traitsMonophyletic groups