Phylogenetic Trees

Branching diagram of evolutionary relationships

Monophyletic grouping

Ancestral species and all of its descendants

Paraphyletic grouping

Consists of an ancestral species and some, but not all, of its descendants.

Polyphyletic grouping

Grouping of species derived from two or more different ancestors

Cladogram

Depicting patterns of shared characteristics among species. Drawn on a diagonal.

Phylogram

Tree in which the length of the branches reflects the number of genetic or evolutionary changes (mutations) that have taken place. -Formed using DNA or RNA base sequences

Ultrametric Tree

Tree in which the lengths of the branches reflect measurements of time