Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Phylogeny

Phylogeny

Phylogeny is concerned with the evolutionary diversification of organisms or groups of organisms. A group of organisms with a name is called a taxon (singular). Taxa (plural) can span different levels of the evolutionary hierarchy. For instance, the group containing all birds is a taxon (comprising the class Aves), and the group of all species of daisies (the genus Bellis) is a taxon. Phylogenies can likewise include just one genus (i.e., depict species relationships) or span an entire...

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes

The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes

The “tree of life” describes the evolution of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The root of the tree is the common ancestor to all life on Earth. All other species radiate from this point, much like the branches of a tree. The numerous tips of these branches on the tree of life represent every living, or extant, species. Extinct species, which are species that no longer exist, can be found towards the center of the tree. Currently, these organisms, both extant and...

The Evidence for Evolution

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.

Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic trees come in many forms. It matters in which sequence the organisms are arranged from the bottom to the top of the tree, but the branches can rotate at their nodes without altering the information. The lines connecting individual nodes can be straight, angled, or even curved.The length of the branches can depict time or the relative amount of change among organisms. For instance, the branch length might indicate the number of amino acid changes in the sequence that underlies the...

Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic trees come in many forms. It matters in which sequence the organisms are arranged from the bottom to the top of the tree, but the branches can rotate at their nodes without altering the information. The lines connecting individual nodes can be straight, angled, or even curved.The length of the branches can depict time or the relative amount of change among organisms. For instance, the branch length might indicate the number of amino acid changes in the sequence that underlies the...

What is Evolutionary History?

What is Evolutionary History?

Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.Phylogenetic trees illustrate the evolutionary relationships among these organisms. Scientists infer organisms’ common ancestry by evaluating shared morphological and genetic characteristics. Together, the fossil...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Genome-powered classification of microbial eukaryotes: focus on coral algal symbionts.

Trends in microbiology·2022

Same author

Comparison of 15 dinoflagellate genomes reveals extensive sequence and structural divergence in family Symbiodiniaceae and genus Symbiodinium.

BMC biology·2021

Same author

Morphological stasis masks ecologically divergent coral species on tropical reefs.

Current biology : CB·2021

Same author

Genomic signatures in the coral holobiont reveal host adaptations driven by Holocene climate change and reef specific symbionts.

Science advances·2020

Same author

Comparative transcriptomic analyses of Chromera and Symbiodiniaceae.

Environmental microbiology reports·2020

Same author

Genomes of the dinoflagellate Polarella glacialis encode tandemly repeated single-exon genes with adaptive functions.

BMC biology·2020

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

Published on: February 5, 2014

Trees and networks before and after Darwin.

¹The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. m.ragan@imb.uq.edu.au

|November 18, 2009

Summary

The concept of the "Network of Life" predates Darwin's "Tree of Life," with early scientific thought exploring interconnectedness. Networks are re-emerging as crucial for understanding evolution, particularly with lateral genetic transfer.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
History of Science
Systematics

Background:

The mid-18th century saw the decline of the Great Chain of Being as a model for biological order.
Early naturalists explored alternative representations of life's relationships, moving beyond linear hierarchies.

Observation:

Donati and Buffon depicted organisms in networks in the mid-18th century.
Bonnet and Pallas proposed branching or tree-like structures for life's relationships.
Lamarck, Augier, Eichwald, and others developed tree and network models of life before Darwin.

Findings:

Darwin's tree of life, popularized in 1859, became influential but not universally adopted.
Network diagrams persisted in some scientific fields alongside tree representations.

More Related Videos

Divergence of Root Microbiota in Different Habitats based on Weighted Correlation Networks

Divergence of Root Microbiota in Different Habitats based on Weighted Correlation Networks

Published on: September 25, 2021

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

Published on: March 5, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

Published on: February 5, 2014

Divergence of Root Microbiota in Different Habitats based on Weighted Correlation Networks

Divergence of Root Microbiota in Different Habitats based on Weighted Correlation Networks

Published on: September 25, 2021

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

Published on: March 5, 2015

Modern molecular data (protein, nucleic acid sequences) initially favored tree inference, but networks are now used to model lateral genetic transfer.

Implications:

Historical analysis reveals that network models of life's organization predate Darwin's tree.
The re-emergence of network models highlights their importance in contemporary evolutionary biology, especially for microbial evolution.
Understanding the historical interplay between tree and network concepts offers new perspectives on evolutionary processes.