What are Cladograms and What Are They Used For?
What are cladograms?
A cladogram is a diagram that depicts evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms. It is based on phylogeny, which is the study of evolutionary relationships. Cladograms illustrate _evolutionary relationships based on shared inherited features. Sometimes a cladogram is called a phylogenetic tree, though there are minor differences between them. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it doesn't show how ancestors are related to descendants or how much they have changed. Many evolutionary trees can be inferred from a single cladogram.
How are related organisms organized on a cladogram?
Related organisms on a cladogram are organized by using lines to connect each other based off of the traits that are shared in the organisms. So in the cladogram below, the perch and the salamander both have jaws, but the salamander has lungs while the perch doesn't.
How can you tell which organisms are most closely related? More distantly related?
Closely related organisms on a cladogram are organized by having more of their lineages connected on the base line. So in the picture below, chimps and mice are more related to each other than to a hagfish. More distantly related organisms are farther apart, like with the chimp and the hagfish.
A cladogram is a diagram that depicts evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms. It is based on phylogeny, which is the study of evolutionary relationships. Cladograms illustrate _evolutionary relationships based on shared inherited features. Sometimes a cladogram is called a phylogenetic tree, though there are minor differences between them. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it doesn't show how ancestors are related to descendants or how much they have changed. Many evolutionary trees can be inferred from a single cladogram.
How are related organisms organized on a cladogram?
Related organisms on a cladogram are organized by using lines to connect each other based off of the traits that are shared in the organisms. So in the cladogram below, the perch and the salamander both have jaws, but the salamander has lungs while the perch doesn't.
How can you tell which organisms are most closely related? More distantly related?
Closely related organisms on a cladogram are organized by having more of their lineages connected on the base line. So in the picture below, chimps and mice are more related to each other than to a hagfish. More distantly related organisms are farther apart, like with the chimp and the hagfish.