genetic distance

Genetic distance is a measure of how different two organisms' DNA are from each other. It indicates the genetic variation or similarity between them. If two species have a small genetic distance, their DNA is very similar, suggesting they share a recent common ancestor. A larger genetic distance means their DNA differs more, implying they are more distantly related. Scientists use this concept to understand evolutionary relationships and track how species have diverged over time. In essence, genetic distance helps us quantify how closely or distantly related different organisms are based on their genetic makeup.