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A.Word.A.Day--cladogenesis

cladogenesis (klad-uh-JEN-i-sis) noun

The evolutionary change and diversification resulting from the branching off of new species from common ancestral lineages.

[Greek klados, branch + -genesis.]

"If the branching pattern of a species tree reflects the evolutionary relationships among its tips, then this pattern offers clues to the process of cladogenesis and lineage diversification." Arne Oyvind Mooers, Tree balance and tree completeness, Evolution, Apr 1995.

This week's theme: words with animals.

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