Monophyly

Monophyly refers to a group of organisms that includes a single common ancestor and all its descendants. In simpler terms, think of it as a family tree where every member, including parents, children, and grandchildren, comes from the same originating ancestor. This concept is important in biology for classifying species and understanding evolutionary relationships. For example, birds and reptiles can be considered a monophyletic group because they share a common ancestor, while mammals would also be a separate monophyletic group since they share a different common ancestor that excludes non-mammals.