Skip to main content
phylogeny

phylogeny

2 9.9
The history of how a group of living things changes over a long time
  • noun
  • /faɪˈlɒdʒəni/
  • Specialized
translation icon : filogenia
  • Specific dental morphologies can be used to determine phylogeny, and they correlate well with diet.
  • molecular phylogeny
  • angiosperm phylogeny
  • ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny

So I think this comes up in terms of trying to identify, you know, where across the timeline of phylogeny did consciousness emerge?

Examples

  • Given the difficulty in resolving the avian phylogeny, this pattern is, perhaps, to be expected.

    Academic text (2018)
  • So I think this comes up in terms of trying to identify, you know, where across the timeline of phylogeny did consciousness emerge?

  • Therefore, it is possible that a gene tree or "phylogeny" based on these sequence data may not reflect a species tree.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Part I, which covered the phylogeny of the facial nerve and related structures, appeared in the September issue.

    Academic text (2003)
  • You have not just the the pedigree we talked about, but phylogeny in general, ancient connections between organisms.

  • However, it can be challenging to estimate a phylogeny for rapidly radiating clades.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Rate variation is common among individual branches of a phylogeny and can constitute extensive deviations from the molecular clock.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Moreover, the phylogeny indicates that short legs are a derived feature in twig anoles:

    Academic text (2007)
  • So our molecular phylogenies suggest looking not at the fossils, but at the molecules that the eukaryotic radiation.

  • Scientists study the phylogeny of various plants to understand their evolutionary relationships.

Synonyms

evolution
vsphylogeny
  • Specialized
377 4.4

Gradual change in living things over many generations caused by nature

focuses on a single species or group's evolutionary history rather than broad change
phylogenesis
vsphylogeny
  • Specialized
9.9

The way a group of living things changes over a long time to form new species

focuses on the historical sequence of development rather than diversification

Surface Forms

phylogeny singular
phylogenies plural

Morphology

phylogeny = phylo + geny

Formed from Greek combining forms ('phylo-' + '-geny') that are not standalone English words, so the meaning is specialized and not directly inferable by an average B1 learner from component parts.

Etymology

Phylogeny comes from the Greek parts phylon 'tribe' and genesis 'origin'. So phylogeny is like a 'family tree' that shows the origin and history of a species.