noun
- Plural of cladist; scientists or biologists who practice or specialize in cladistics, a method of biological classification based on evolutionary relationships and shared derived characteristics.
Usage: technical; biology
Examples
- Cladists use DNA evidence to determine evolutionary relationships between species.
- The conference brought together leading cladists from universities around the world.
- Modern cladists have revolutionized how we understand animal classification.
- Cladists argue that classification should reflect evolutionary history rather than superficial similarities.