cladistics
cla·dis·tics
noun pl but singular in constr \klə-ˈdis-tiks, kla-\Definition of CLADISTICS
: a system of biological taxonomy that defines taxa uniquely by shared characteristics not found in ancestral groups and uses inferred evolutionary relationships to arrange taxa in a branching hierarchy such that all members of a given taxon have the same ancestors
— cla·dist \ˈkla-dist, ˈklā-\ noun
— cla·dis·tic \klə-ˈdis-tik, kla-\ adjective
— cla·dis·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
First Known Use of CLADISTICS
1965
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