Definition of phylogeny
phylogenies
1 : the evolutionary history of a kind of organism
2 : the evolution of a genetically related group of organisms as distinguished from the development of the individual organism
3 : the history or course of the development of something (such as a word or custom)
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of phylogeny from the Web
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Darwin knew that paleontologists had only just begun to probe the fossil record, and so outlining phylogenies or tracing evolutionary lines of descent was a risky maneuver since those findings would almost certainly have to be revised.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phylogeny'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of phylogeny
International Scientific Vocabulary
Other Biology Terms
Medical Dictionary
phylogeny
playMedical Definition of phylogeny
phylogenies
1: the evolutionary history of a kind of organism
2: the evolution of a genetically related group of organisms as distinguished from the development of the individual organism—called also phylogenesis; compare ontogeny
Learn More about phylogeny
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See words that rhyme with phylogeny Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phylogeny
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