Species Trees

Species trees are diagrams that show the evolutionary relationships among different species, illustrating how they share common ancestors over time. Imagine a branching tree where each branch point, or node, represents a common ancestor from which two or more species diverged. These trees help scientists understand the history of life's diversity, revealing how species are related and when they diverged. Unlike gene trees, which trace the history of specific genes, species trees focus on overall species evolution, providing a broader picture of biological history and the connections between living organisms.