A way to work out evolutionary relationships between species based on shared traits and genetic evidence eg molecular sequences
Clade
A group of organisms with common ancestry and shared characteristics
Clades
Hierarchical - subdivided into smaller groupings
Identified by shared genetics or traits that have been passed down from a common ancestor
Mammal clade
Primates
Carnivores
Ungulates
Cladistic analysis
A technique based on the idea that shared genetics or traits that have been passed down from a common ancestor are what identify a clade
Clades
Annals
Primates
Ungulates
Clade divergence
Gradual accumulation of sequence differences are the basis for estimates of when clades diverged from a common ancestor
Genetic and molecule differences between organisms increase over time as a result of evolution - provide an idea of when organisms diverged evolutionarily
Mutation rates
Depend on population size
Selection pressures
Genome size
Degree of randomness
Molecular clock
The technique of measuring the time since there was a common ancestor
