Evolutionary Biology and Phylogeny

The evolutionary history of a species or group of related species.

A diagram that shows how members of a family are related.

A diagram that illustrates the evolutionary relationships among different species over time.

A method of classification based on common ancestry and shared derived traits.

A branching diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among groups.

A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants.

A point on a cladogram representing a common ancestor of the lineages that branch from it.

The hypothesis that all organisms share a single common ancestor in the distant past.

A group of one or more populations of organisms which form a unit in the classification system.

Shared derived traits used for classifying organisms into clades.

An ancestral species from which multiple species have descended.

Information from DNA or proteins used to analyze relationships among species.

Connections among species based on common descent and evolutionary changes.

Observable characteristics of an organism, such as size and color.

The actions or behaviors exhibited by organisms in response to their environment.

Differences in genetic sequences that indicate how closely related species are.

Traditional trees include time, cladograms focus on relationships.

Traits that are unique to a clade and inherited from a common ancestor.

The science of classifying organisms into groups and naming them.

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

A species that no longer exists anywhere on Earth.

Another term for an evolutionary tree showing species relationships.

A hierarchical structure used to organize living things into groups based on similarities.

The natural arrangement of organisms in different areas of the world.

Traits that are new compared to ancestral traits and help identify new groups.

Traits that were present in a common ancestor and remain in descendants.

A change in the genetic makeup of a population over time resulting in new adaptations.

Relationships based on evolutionary history and genetic connections among species.

The systematic categorization of living organisms into ranked groups.

The process through which species adapt to their environment by favoring advantageous traits.