#Evolutionary Relationships: Phylogenetic Trees & Cladograms 🌳

Phylogenetic trees and cladograms are fundamental for understanding evolutionary relationships and are frequently tested on the AP exam. Expect questions that require you to interpret these diagrams and apply them to evolutionary concepts.

# Phylogenetic Trees: Visualizing Evolution

Phylogenetic trees are visual tools that depict the evolutionary relationships among different species. They show how species are related through common ancestry and the amount of evolutionary change over time. Think of them as family trees for species, where branches represent lineages and the distance between species reflects their relatedness.

• Visual Representation: Show evolutionary connections through the proximity of species. Closer species are more related, while distant species are less related.
• Time Scale: Unlike cladograms, phylogenetic trees can incorporate a timeline of evolution, often calibrated using fossils or molecular clocks. This helps in understanding the rate of evolutionary change.
• Trait Tracking: They also illustrate the gain or loss of traits over time, providing insights into how characteristics have evolved.

# Cladograms: Focusing on Shared Traits

Cladograms, like phylogenetic trees, also depict evolutionary relationships, but they focus on shared characteristics rather than the amount of change over time.

• Morphological Focus: Cladograms are often based on morphological (visible) traits, such as beak shape in birds. These traits can be reasonably hypothesized....