Gene Trees vs. Species Trees

Gene trees and species trees are both ways to understand evolutionary relationships, but they differ in scope. A gene tree maps the history of a specific gene across different species, which can sometimes tell a different story due to gene variations, duplications, or transfers. A species tree shows the overall evolutionary relationships among different species, reflecting their common ancestors. While species trees aim to depict the true history of species divergence, gene trees can be influenced by individual gene histories, so they may not always match the species tree exactly.