cladistics
Cladistics is a method used in biology to classify living organisms based on their evolutionary relationships. It groups species by shared characteristics and a common ancestor, creating a "family tree" called a cladogram. Unlike traditional classification, which might group organisms based on physical traits alone, cladistics focuses on evolutionary history, helping scientists understand how different species are related over time. By analyzing similarities and differences in genetics and features, cladistics provides insights into the process of evolution and the connections between various life forms.
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Cladistics is a method in biology used to classify living organisms based on their evolutionary relationships. It organizes species into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor and all its descendants. By analyzing shared characteristics and traits, scientists create branching diagrams known as cladograms that illustrate these relationships. This approach helps researchers understand how different species evolved over time and trace their common ancestry, providing insights into the history of life on Earth. Cladistics emphasizes the importance of evolutionary connections rather than just physical similarities.