Nota: La traducción de esta entrada está actualmente en revisión de calidad, por lo que parte del contenido se muestra temporalmente solo en inglés.
Esta entrada aún no se ha traducido a tu idioma, así que se muestra el original a continuación.
phylogenetic tree
This term is a technical compound noun used primarily in biology, genetics, and anthropology. It describes a visual hypothesis of evolutionary history, where the branching points (nodes) represent common ancestors and the tips represent extant or extinct taxa. It is distinct from a genealogical tree, which tracks individual ancestry within a single species, whereas a phylogenetic tree tracks the divergence of entire lineages over geological time.
In academic writing, the term is used with high precision to discuss cladistics and molecular phylogenetics. It is almost always used in a formal, scientific register. Because it refers to a specific conceptual model, it is treated as a standard countable noun in research papers, often appearing in the plural when comparing different possible evolutionary scenarios.
Meanings
Examples
The professor asked us to draw a phylogenetic tree showing the relationship between mammals and reptiles.
The professor asked us to draw a phylogenetic tree showing the relationship between mammals and reptiles.
Looking at this phylogenetic tree, it is clear that humans and chimpanzees share a recent common ancestor.
Looking at this phylogenetic tree, it is clear that humans and chimpanzees share a recent common ancestor.
I wonder if the new genomic data will change the current phylogenetic tree of avian species.
A phylogenetic tree helps scientists visualize how different species diverged over millions of years.
A phylogenetic tree helps scientists visualize how different species diverged over millions of years.
Can you explain how to read the nodes on this phylogenetic tree?
The researchers constructed a phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.
This phylogenetic tree suggests that the trait evolved independently in both lineages.
This phylogenetic tree suggests that the trait evolved independently in both lineages.
Wait, so this branch of the phylogenetic tree represents an extinct group?