Abaza, S. (2020). What is and why do we have to know the phylogenetic tree?. Parasitologists United Journal, 13(2), 68-71. doi: 10.21608/puj.2020.35843.1082
Sherif Abaza. "What is and why do we have to know the phylogenetic tree?". Parasitologists United Journal, 13, 2, 2020, 68-71. doi: 10.21608/puj.2020.35843.1082
Abaza, S. (2020). 'What is and why do we have to know the phylogenetic tree?', Parasitologists United Journal, 13(2), pp. 68-71. doi: 10.21608/puj.2020.35843.1082
Abaza, S. What is and why do we have to know the phylogenetic tree?. Parasitologists United Journal, 2020; 13(2): 68-71. doi: 10.21608/puj.2020.35843.1082
What is and why do we have to know the phylogenetic tree?
Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
Abstract
All creatures are related to each other in a branching evolutionary tree with a common ancestry, and according to their genetic diversity, they separate as leaves on the external branches of the tree. Phylogeny is defined as the history of descent from the common ancestry, whereas the phylogenetic tree shows the lines of evolutionary descent of different species from the common ancestor. In other words, it is the visual representation of the relationship between different organisms or species in relation to their evolutionary time. The phylogenetic tree, also called a dendrogram, demonstrates the distance of one group of creatures from other groups indicating the degree of relationship. That is to say closely related groups, also known as clades, are located on branches close to each other. In spite of being intellectual, i.e. depending on analytical hypotheses, it provides a convenient simple method for studying phylogenetic relationships. Accordingly, phylogenetic analysis is the ability to read and interpret phylogenetic trees and to apply these data to accurately represent the evolutionary process