cladistics
Ancestry-based taxonomy method
Cladistics is a method of classifying organisms based on shared evolutionary ancestry rather than superficial similarities.
Species are grouped by characteristics inherited from common ancestors, producing branching diagrams called cladograms that map evolutionary relationships.
The approach revolutionized taxonomy by insisting that valid groups must include all descendants of a single ancestor: Cladistics revealed that birds are actually living dinosaurs.
Excessive frugality with resources
- outgroupNon-members of one's group
- ingroupExclusive social circle
- homologyStructural similarity through descent
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
convergence · reversal · diagnosis · coding · polarization · weighting · bootstrap
Nearest branch in phylogeny
- nodeConnection point in networks
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- branchDivision or woody limb
- bifurcationDivision into two branches
branching · common ancestor · dichotomy · terminal · basal · derived · ancestral · tree of life
Science of categorical arrangement
- phylogeneticsScience of ancestral relationships
- LinnaeanOf systematic species naming
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- taxonClassificatory group of organisms
rank · species · genus · family · order · class · phylum · kingdom
Separation from common origin
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- common descentAll organisms share forebears
- convergent evolutionIndependent origin of similar features
- character evolutionGradual personality transformation
parsimony
Excessive frugality with resources
- outgroupNon-members of one's group
- ingroupExclusive social circle
- homologyStructural similarity through descent
analogy · convergence · reversal · diagnosis · coding · polarization · weighting · bootstrap
sister group
Nearest branch in phylogeny
bifurcation · branching · common ancestor · dichotomy · terminal · basal · derived · ancestral · tree of life · splitting
taxonomy
Science of categorical arrangement
- phylogeneticsScience of ancestral relationships
- LinnaeanOf systematic species naming
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
taxon · rank · species · genus · family · order · class · phylum · kingdom · domain
divergence
Separation from common origin
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- common descentAll organisms share forebears
- convergent evolutionIndependent origin of similar features