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Phylogeny

Phylogenies are used to understand the evolutionary relationships between organisms. Phylogenies can help classify organisms.

Shared ancestry

Shared ancestry

  • The evolutionary relationship of an organism or group of organisms is called its phylogeny.
  • Phylogenies are based on the fact that all organisms share a common ancestor.
  • More closely related organisms will share a more recent common ancestor than more distantly related organisms.
Phylogenetic tree

Phylogenetic tree

  • A phylogenetic tree shows the evolutionary relationship between different species and their most recent common ancestor.
  • Each branch on a phylogenetic tree shows a different species.
  • The point that two branches join together is the common ancestor of the two species.
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Mathematical Skills

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