phylogenetic
adjective
phy·lo·ge·net·ic
ˌfī-lō-jə-ˈne-tik 
1
: of or relating to phylogeny
2
: based on natural evolutionary relationships
3
: acquired in the course of phylogenetic development : racial
Examples of phylogenetic in a Sentence
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The phylogenetic analysis linked geographically close South American species to much older, geologically distant Asian taxa like Bannykus and Xiyunykus, implying that the group must have diverged way back in the Jurassic period.
—
Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 8 Mar. 2026
For anyone curious about how paleontology works at the species-identification level, this paper offers a concrete example of the real process: measuring bones, counting anatomical differences, building phylogenetic arguments.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
The research was conducted using highly sensitive genomic methods such as local ancestry estimation (LAI) and phylogenetic analysis.
—Ritsuko Kawai, Wired News, 25 Dec. 2025
Through phylogenetic analysis, an international team of scientists found that kissing was likely present in the ancestor of all apes – which lived 21 million years ago.
—Emily Kwong, NPR, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phylogenetic
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Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 8 Mar. 2026
For anyone curious about how paleontology works at the species-identification level, this paper offers a concrete example of the real process: measuring bones, counting anatomical differences, building phylogenetic arguments.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
The research was conducted using highly sensitive genomic methods such as local ancestry estimation (LAI) and phylogenetic analysis.
—Ritsuko Kawai, Wired News, 25 Dec. 2025
Through phylogenetic analysis, an international team of scientists found that kissing was likely present in the ancestor of all apes – which lived 21 million years ago.
—Emily Kwong, NPR, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phylogenetic
Cite this Entry
“Phylogenetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phylogenetic. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
phylogenetic
adjective
phy·lo·ge·net·ic
ˌfī-lō-jə-ˈnet-ik
1
: of or relating to phylogeny
2
: based on natural evolutionary relationships
3
: acquired in the course of phylogenetic development
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