[klad-uh-gram, kley-duh-] 
| a branching diagram depicting the successive points of species divergence from common ancestral lines without regard to the degree of deviation. |
| clad·o·gram (klād'ə-grām', klā'də-) n. A branching, treelike diagram in which the endpoints of the branches represent specific species of organisms. It is used to illustrate phylogenetic relationships and show points at which various species have diverged from common ancestral forms. [Greek klados, branch + -gram.] |
cladogram (klād'ə-grām', klā'də-) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) A branching treelike diagram used to illustrate evolutionary (phylogenetic) relationships among organisms. Each node, or point of divergence, has two branching lines of descendance, indicating evolutionary divergence from a common ancestor. The endpoints of the tree represent individual species, and any node together with its descendant branches and subbranches constitutes a clade. |
əˌgræm