cladistics

American  

[kluh-dis-tiks] / kləˈdɪs tɪks /

noun

Biology.

1. classification of organisms based on the branchings of descendant lineages from a common ancestor.

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cladistics British  

/ kləˈdɪstɪks, ˈklædɪst, ˈklædɪzəm /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) biology a method of grouping animals that makes use of lines of descent rather than structural similarities

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cladistics Scientific  

/ klə-dĭs′tĭks /

1. 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.

2. Compare Linnean

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cladistics Cultural  

1. 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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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cladistically
  adverb
• cladistic
  adjective
• cladism
  noun
• cladist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cladistics

1965–70; cladist(ic) ( see clad-, -istic) + -ics