10.3: Understanding phylogenetic trees
- Page ID
- 49714
-
Phylogenetic tree is a dichotomously branching diagram where all terminals (tips representing objects) are connected. Phylogenetic tree is related with time; start of the diagram is always older then end. All terminals must be labeled. Nodes which have more than two branches are typically not allowed.
-
Tree edges may be freely rotated in any direction. For example, these trees are same:
-
Direction of branches also does not matter. These trees are same:
-
Apomorphies (and reversals) could be shown as edge labels:
Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\) -
Phylogenetic tree is directly related with taxonomy (classification):
-
Suborder Strepsirrhini: lemur
-
Suborder Haplorrhini:
-
Superfamily Cercopithecoidea: baboon
-
Superfamily Hominoidea:
-
Genus Pan: chimpanzee
-
Genus Homo: human
-
-
-