Phylogenetic trees are also called?
Phylogenetic trees are also called evolutionary trees, and are used to display
the evolutionary relationships among species or groups of species (clades).
These trees can provide insights into the history of life on earth, and how
different species are related to each other through common ancestry.
Phylogenetic trees are constructed using various types of data, such as DNA
sequences, morphological traits, or behavioral characteristics, which are used
to infer the evolutionary relationships among the different taxa. The tree is
usually rooted at a common ancestor of all the taxa being studied, and the
branching pattern represents the hypothesized sequence of speciation events
that led to the current diversity of life.
The branches of the tree are also labeled with measures of evolutionary
distance or time, which can be used to compare the rates of evolution among
different lineages, or to investigate patterns of diversification or extinction over
time.
Phylogenetic trees have been used extensively in evolutionary biology to
study a wide range of topics, from the origin of life to the diversification of
modern species. They are also applied in other fields such as epidemiology,
ecology, and even linguistics to study the evolution and spread of diseases,
species interactions, and the evolution of languages, among others.
References:
- Felsenstein, J. (2004). Inferring phylogenies. Sinauer Associates.
- Hillis, D. M., & Bull, J. J. (1993). An empirical test of bootstrapping as a method for
assessing confidence in phylogenetic analysis. Systematic Biology, 42(2), 182-192.
- Darwin, C. (1859). On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the
Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. John Murray.