phylogeny
the evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or group of organisms. describes the organism's relationships, such as from which organisms it may have evolved, or to which species it is most closely related to.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
phylogeny | the evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or group of organisms. describes the organism's relationships, such as from which organisms it may have evolved, or to which species it is most closely related to. |
phylogenetic tree | a diagram used to reflect evolutionary relationships among organisms/group of organisms |
rooted (phylogenetic tree) | when there's a single lineage to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate |
unrooted (phylogenetic tree) | do not show a common ancestor but do show relationships among species |
branch point | the point where a split occurs. represents where a single lineage evolved into a distinct new one |
basal taxon | a lineage that evolved early from the root that remains unbranched |
sister taxa | 2 lineages stemming from the same branch |
polytomy | a branch with more than 2 lineages. it serves to illustrate where scientists have not definitively determined all of the relationships. |
taxonomy | the science of classifying organisms to construct internationally shared classification systems with each organism placed into increasingly more inclusive groups. |
bacteria, archaea, eukary | domains in taxonomic classification system |
binomial nomenclature | an organisms 2-word scientific name |