clade

Definition

A biological group consisting of a common ancestor and all of its descendants, representing a single branch on the tree of life.

Etymology

The word is derived from the Ancient Greek 'klados', meaning 'twig' or 'branch', and was introduced into biological taxonomy in the mid-20th century.

In the news

The article uses the term to categorize the ground squirrel as one of two specific mammalian groups that exhibit a unique, reversed rod-to-cone ratio in their retinas. Identifying these clades helps researchers compare evolutionary developments in visual systems.

How thirteen-lined ground squirrels illuminate retinal development

thetransmitter.org

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