Lineages

Definition

Lineages are sequences of species, each one giving rise to the next, that represent a line of evolutionary descent.

Related terms

Phylogeny: This refers to the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms. These relationships are discovered through phylogenetic inference methods that evaluate observed heritable traits.

Cladistics: This is a method of classification which groups species into categories based on their most recent common ancestor. It's like grouping all your cousins who share the same grandparents with you.

Speciation:

This is the process by which new and distinct species evolve. It's akin to how different branches form in a family tree over generations.