monophyletic
One ancestor, all descendants
Monophyletic describes a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants—no more, no less.
In biology and taxonomy, a monophyletic group (also called a clade) represents a complete branch of the evolutionary tree.
Birds are monophyletic because they include all descendants of their common ancestor.
The term contrasts with paraphyletic (excluding some descendants) and polyphyletic (grouping unrelated lineages).
Scientists prefer monophyletic classifications because they reflect actual evolutionary relationships.
Diagram of evolutionary branching
- sister groupNearest branch in phylogeny
- ingroupExclusive social circle
- outgroupNon-members of one's group
- nodeConnection point in networks
Origin point of descendants
- common descentAll organisms share forebears
- descendantsThose who come after
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- ancestralOf one's forebears
progenitor · root · descent · genealogy · hereditary · founder · originator
Classificatory group of organisms
- taxaClassification categories
- systematicsScience of classifying organisms
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- nomenclatureSystem of specialized terms
rank · family · order · genus · species · kingdom · phylum · class
Formation of distinct species
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
- macroevolutionEvolutionary change above species
- microevolutionSmall hereditary changes within populations
genetic drift · bottleneck · coevolution · gradualism · fossil record
Having shared evolutionary origin
- characterNature, symbol, or role
- morphologicalConcerning form or shape
- molecularOf tiny particles
- sequence alignmentArranging molecular strings for comparison
cladogram
Diagram of evolutionary branching
- sister groupNearest branch in phylogeny
- ingroupExclusive social circle
- outgroupNon-members of one's group
common ancestor
Origin point of descendants
- common descentAll organisms share forebears
- descendantsThose who come after
- lineageDescent from progenitors
ancestral · progenitor · root · descent · genealogy · hereditary · founder · originator
taxon
Classificatory group of organisms
- taxaClassification categories
- systematicsScience of classifying organisms
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
nomenclature · rank · family · order · genus · species · kingdom · phylum · class · Linnaean
speciation
Formation of distinct species
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
- macroevolutionEvolutionary change above species
microevolution · genetic drift · bottleneck · coevolution · gradualism · fossil record
homologous
Having shared evolutionary origin
- characterNature, symbol, or role
- morphologicalConcerning form or shape
- molecularOf tiny particles