Phylogeny

(Redirected from Phylogenetic tree)
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This type of diagram shows geological periods and relative abundance.

A phylogeny is a proposal of how organisms are related by their evolutionary history.[1]p336 It is based on the evidence that all living things are related by common descent. The evidence for phylogeny comes from palaeontology, comparative anatomy, and DNA sequence analysis.

The main product of phylogenetics is a phylogenetic tree or tree of life. This is a diagram showing a pattern of ancestor/descendent relationships. Information may be related to geological periods or estimated dates. A biological classification is another type of product.

References

  1. King R.C. Stansfield W.D. & Mulligan P.K. 2006. A dictionary of genetics, 7th ed. Oxford.