What do Phylogeny and Taxonomy mean? Why are they relevant to amphibians? Interested to learn more? Continue to our Primer on Phylogeny, Taxonomy and NomenclaturePhylogeny, Taxonomy, and Nomenclature - a PrimerContents Phylogeny, taxonomy, and nomenclature are important concepts for how scientists study and conserve Life on Earth, including amphibians. Our goal here is to declutter these concepts and to highlight what these terms mean, how they are related, why biologists rely on these ideas, and how understanding them is important for using AmphibiaWeb.
What are groups of organisms that share a common ancestor called?If a group of organisms is believed to have shared a common ancestor, the group containing that ancestor and all of its descendants is called a monophyletic group. A monophyletic group must be recognized by the presence of at least one shared derived character.
Which grouping of organisms includes an ancestor and all of its descendants?A clade is a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are based on cladistics. This is a method of comparing traits in related species to determine ancestor-descendant relationships.
What is a paraphyletic group?Paraphyletic taxon : A group composed of a collection of organisms, including the most recent common ancestor of all those organisms. Unlike a monophyletic group, a paraphyletic taxon does not include all the descendants of the most recent common ancestor.
What is a group in phylogeny?A clade is a piece of a phylogeny that includes an ancestral lineage and all the descendants of that ancestor. This group of organisms has the property of monophyly (from the Greek for "single clan"), so it may also be referred to as a monophyletic group.
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