Mono vs. polyphyly: what’s the diff?

Biological taxonomy categorizes species into monophyletic and polyphyletic groups. Genetic methods have made it easier to distinguish between superficially similar groups, such as legless lizards and snakes. Warm-blooded animals are a polyphyletic group, including birds and mammals. Taxonomists aim for specific classification, unlike casual observations that may group unrelated species together. In biological taxonomy – […]

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