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cladistics
[ kluh-dis-tiks ]
noun
, Biology.
- classification of organisms based on the branchings of descendant lineages from a common ancestor.
cladistics
/ ˈklædɪst; ˈklædɪzəm; kləˈdɪstɪks /
noun
- functioning as singular biology a method of grouping animals that makes use of lines of descent rather than structural similarities
cladistics
/ klə-dĭs′tĭks /
- A system of classification based on the presumed phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of groups of organisms, rather than purely on shared features. Many taxonomists prefer cladistics to the traditional hierarchies of Linnean classification systems.
- Compare Linnean
cladistics
- 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.
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Derived Forms
- cladist, noun
- cladism, noun
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Other Words From
- cla·distic adjective
- cla·disti·cal·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins
Origin of cladistics1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of cladistics1
C20: New Latin, from Greek klādos branch, shoot
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