1. a system of biological classification that groups organisms based on shared evolutionary ancestry and common descent, emphasizing branching patterns in evolutionary history.
Usage: technical; biology; also called cladistics

Examples

• Cladism has revolutionized how biologists organize and understand the relationships between different species.
• Under cladism, organisms are grouped by their most recent common ancestor rather than by overall similarity.
• The principles of cladism help scientists construct evolutionary trees that reflect true biological relationships.
• Many modern taxonomists prefer cladism because it provides a more objective framework for classification.