[kluh-dis-tiks] 
) | classification of organisms based on the branchings of descendant lineages from a common ancestor. |
| cla·dis·tics (klə-dĭs'tĭks) n. (used with a sing. verb) A system of classification based on the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of groups of organisms. cla·dis'tic, cla·dis'ti·cal adj., cla·dis'ti·cal·ly adv. |
A method of taxonomic classification that groups organisms according to their lines of evolutionary descent. All descendants of a given organism are called a clade.
| cladistics (klə-dĭs'tĭks) Pronunciation Key
A system of classification based on the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of groups of organisms, rather than purely on shared features. Many modern taxonomists prefer cladistics to the traditional hierarchies of Linnean classification systems. Compare Linnean. |