phylogeny

American  

[fahy-loj-uh-nee] / faɪˈlɒdʒ ə ni /

Also phylogenesis

noun

1. the development or evolution of a particular group of organisms.

2. the evolutionary history of a group of organisms, especially as depicted in a family tree.

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phylogeny British  

/ ˌfaɪləʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs, ˌfaɪləʊdʒɪˈnɛtɪk, ˌfaɪləʊˈdʒɛnɪk, faɪˈlɒdʒɪnɪ /

noun

1. biology the sequence of events involved in the evolution of a species, genus, etc Compare ontogeny

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phylogeny Scientific  

/ fī-lŏj′ə-nē /

1. The evolutionary development and history of a species or higher taxonomic grouping of organisms.

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Other Word Forms

• phylogenetic adjective
• phylogenetical adjective
• phylogenetically adverb
• phylogenic adjective
• phylogenist noun

Etymology

Origin of phylogeny

First recorded in 1865–70; phylo- + -geny

Explanation

Use the noun phylogeny to describe the branch of biology that focuses on evolution and the differences between species. You're most likely to come across the word phylogeny in a biology class. It's another term for "phylogenetics," the study of evolution, diversity, and the way different organisms and species are related to each other. The German biologist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel was the first to use the word phylogeny, in 1866, and Darwin used it soon after. It combines the Greek phylos, "race," with geneia, "origin."

Example Sentences

"It describes a new genus and species, but places them in the phylogeny of tardigrades," Nelson told Salon.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2024

Next, the team mapped out the branches of the phylogeny that featured living bioluminescent species.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024

Quattrini and her collaborators created this map of evolutionary relationships, or phylogeny, using genetic data from 185 species of octocorals.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024

"Acoustic communication, broadly distributed along the vertebrate phylogeny, plays a fundamental role in parental care, mate attraction and various other behaviours."

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2022

Some properties of North American pit viper venoms and their correlation with phylogeny.

From Natural History of Cottonmouth Moccasin, Agkistrodon piscovorus (Reptilia) by Burkett, Ray D.