Related Words

Monophyletic: Refers to a group of species that all have a single common ancestral species

Monophyletic Group: A group of organisms descended from a common ancestor. For example: your immediate family may be considered such a group, being descended from a common ancestral group (grandparents, etc.).

Cladogram: A tree-like diagram showing evolutionary relationships. Any two branch tips sharing the same immediate node are most closely related. All taxa that can be traced directly to one node (that i . . . View Full Definition

Protista: The taxonomic Kingdom from which the other three eukaryotic kingdoms (Fungi, Animalia and Plantae) are thought to have evolved. The earliest eukaryotes were single-celled organisms that woul . . . View Full Definition

Phylogeny: 1) the study of evolutionary relationships within a monophyletic group. 2) evolutionary hypotheses represented as a dendrogram or branching diagram.

Parallel Evolution: The development of similar characteristics in organisms that are not closely related (not part of a monophyletic group) due to adaptation to similar environments and/or strategies of life.